Putin permits trading in Russian assets

A presidential decree has granted permission to an American hedge fund to trade in the securities of Russian firms. Moscow has authorized an American hedge fund to buy securities in Russian companies from select foreign stakeholders, thereby...

Putin permits trading in Russian assets
A presidential decree has granted permission to an American hedge fund to trade in the securities of Russian firms.

Moscow has authorized an American hedge fund to buy securities in Russian companies from select foreign stakeholders, thereby lifting some restrictions that were imposed due to sanctions related to Ukraine. This development comes amid indications of a possible thaw in relations between Russia and the United States.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday that allows New York-based hedge fund 683 Capital Partners to acquire securities from Russian companies owned by approximately a dozen Western financial entities including Jane Street, Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co., Templeton Asset Management, Franklin Advisers, Highmark Limited, and Carrhae Capital.

The decree also permits 683 Capital Partners to sell these securities to two Russian companies, Cepheus-2 and Modern Real Estate Funds, without the need for further approval.

The document is designed to ease restrictions that were originally imposed in September 2022. These measures prohibited entities from "unfriendly" countries from conducting transactions with Russian securities in the energy and finance sectors, requiring any such deals to receive presidential approval. This step was part of the response to Western sanctions aimed at safeguarding Russia’s national interests.

683 Capital Partners LP invests and trades in a wide range of asset classes, with its portfolio valued at around $1.61 billion as of December 31, 2024.

The return of President Donald Trump to the White House in January has signaled a potential warming of relations with Russia. Negotiations have been initiated between Washington and Moscow to address the Ukraine conflict, and Trump has suggested that sanctions against Russia might be lifted if peace is reached.

The Kremlin has confirmed that Putin and Trump are scheduled to have a phone conversation on Tuesday, which is anticipated to center on the prospects of a peace agreement concerning the Ukraine conflict.

This will mark the second call between the two leaders in just over a month. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow last week to discuss a proposed 30-day ceasefire with Putin, and there were also significant talks conducted by US and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in February.

Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News