Mnuchin defends U.S. decision to lift sanctions on Russian firms

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday sought to allay Democratic lawmakers' concerns about a Trump administration decision to remove companies tied to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska from the U.S. sanctions list ahead of a congressional meeting over the issue.

"Treasury will be vigilant in ensuring that En+ and Rusal meet these commitments. If these companies fail to comply with the terms, they will face very real and swift consequences, including the reimposition of sanctions," Mnuchin said in a statement before his closed-door briefing with U.S. lawmakers. (Reporting by Susan Heavey and Tim Ahmann Editing by James Dalgleish)