Washington: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is urging Republican senators to support the Trump administration's decision to ease sanctions on companies linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Credit:AP

Mnuchin met privately with senators on Tuesday before a vote on a resolution from Democrats. That measure would prevent the administration from lifting penalties against the aluminum manufacturing giant Rusal and two other companies connected to Deripaska.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mnuchin said, "We have been tougher on Russia with more sanctions than any other administration." He said the sanctions "shouldn't be a political issue."

The Treasury Department says the Russian companies have committed to separating from Deripaska, who will remain blacklisted as part of an array of measures announced in early April that targeted tycoons close to the Kremlin. It also warns that the sanctions could upset global aluminum markets.