VTB: We have no Assad accounts

VTB denied the statements of four American senators that this bank stored assets of the Syrian dictator Bashar al -Assad. "The VTB group has no accounts of the leadership of Syria," the bank said on the bank’s website. The VTB’s leadership of Senators regarded the “dissemination of absolutely inaccurate information”, accusing them of “a provocative attempt to mislead the US public.”

"It is obvious that the insinuations of the four irresponsible American politicians have their goal to aggravate the situation around the economy and finance of Syria and curtailing at any cost of the peace process that has recently been outlined in this country," the statement says.

Earlier it became known that the Democrats Senators Richard Blumental (Connecticut) and Gene Shahin (New Hampshire), as well as Republicans Kelly Iott (New Hampshire) and John Cornin (Texas) turned to the head of the US Treasury, Jaycobe Lew, to impose sanctions against VTB and a number of largest Russian banks. According to them, these banks help to finance the activities of the Syrian authorities, and Assad’s personal funds are stored in VTB.

"According to numerous reports, banks such as VTB, VEB and Gazprombank lead, as usual, a business with Syria, repeatedly undermining the regime of sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union and the UN. Such activities, as reported, includes the assistance of foreign foreign car in making payments for the S-300 missile systems, storage in the VTB of personal assets of the President of Syrian Bashar Assad, Gazprombank payments for oil, ”the letter says.

According to senators, the assistance of Russian banks helps the Syrian authorities buy weapons and wage a civil war.

"We believe that these institutions are involved in the continued cruel conflict in Syria and should be deprived of access to the American financial system," American lawmakers said.

As Senator Blumental clarified the Politico newspaper, it is proposed to freeze the assets of Russian banks in the United States, ban any activities in the States, and impose restrictions on foreign trips of employees.

The representative of the US Treasury did not comment on the letter of senators, but noted that Washington has already uses sanctions to pressure Syria.