US imposes sanctions on Russian Financial Alliance, businessman

WASHINGTON, Nov 25 (PRIME) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Wednesday extended a list of sanctions over the Syrian conflict having included Russian Financial Alliance (RFA) bank and Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, president of the World Chess Federation.

The sanctions were imposed due to contacts with the Syrian government and state institutes, which the U.S. believes to be illegal.

Ilyumzhinov, who the U.S. believes to be connected with RFA, called the sanctions a provocation ahead of talks over the world chess championship in the U.S. “I believe this is a provocation. On Sunday, just in a few days, I plan a visit to the U.S., where talks will be held and a contract to hold a world chess championship in New York next November will be signed,” he told Rossiya 24 television channel.

The expanded list also includes Hudsotrade Limited with offices in Moscow and Cyprus, as well as companies in Syria and three citizens in Syria and Cyprus.

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