Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorised US hedge fund 683 Capital Partners to acquire Russian corporate securities from select foreign investors, marking a rare transaction amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, according to a report by Reuters.
The decree, issued on Monday, also permits the future resale of these securities to two Russian funds, Cepheus-2 and Modern Real Estate Funds, without requiring additional presidential approval.
Since the onset of the Ukraine conflict, Moscow has steadily restricted foreign asset sales, particularly in energy and finance, requiring Putin’s direct approval for such transactions. The latest decree – while light on specifics –signals a controlled approach to facilitating select Western investment activity in Russian markets.
Among the Western financial firms offloading their Russian securities under this authorisation are Jane Street, Templeton Asset Management, Franklin Advisers, and Carrhae Capital. The extent of the deal’s financial impact remains unclear.
The move comes as investors monitor whether a potential shift in US-Russia relations under President Donald Trump’s return to office could lead to increased opportunities for Western funds to trade Russian assets. However, international sanctions and Russian countermeasures continue to restrict capital flows, with many foreign funds trapped in Russian markets and vice versa.
