56 former US national security officials, academics, and activists have criticized Council on Foreign Relations for accepting $12 million from a Soviet-born oligarch with Russian ties Len Blavatnik, qz.com reports.
Last year, the US Treasury sanctioned Viktor Vekselberg, Blavatnik’s longtime business partner. Another associate, Oleg Deripaska, has been under sanctions since 2018.
The US believes both men are among a group of oligarchs playing “a key role in advancing Russia’s malign activities.”
