The Senate voted on Wednesday to uphold a Treasury Department ruling that would lift economic sanctions against companies owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, despite a wave of defections from 11 Republican senators.

The big picture: Treasury's decision came last month after the companies in question reduced their relationship with Deripaska, complying with U.S. requirements. And Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin urged GOP senators not to support the Democratic-backed measure to keep the sanctions this week, per the Washington Post, arguing afterward that the Trump administration had long been tough on Russia.

Go deeper: Congress can improve sanctions policy, but Rusal is a poor target