(CNN) The Trump administration is looking into lifting sanctions against a major Russian aluminum company founded by one of Vladimir Putin's closest allies.

The Treasury Department is considering relieving Rusal of penalties even though its former owner, oligarch Oleg Deripaska, was sanctioned this year by the US in an attempt to punish the Kremlin for interfering in the 2016 US presidential election.

The possible relief for Rusal comes as President Donald Trump continues to deal with the fallout from his Helsinki summit with the Russian president. Democrats and Republicans urged Trump to ramp up sanctions -- not dial them back -- and strike at even more sectors of the Russian economy.

The US imposed sanctions on Rusal in April because of its ties to Deripaska. But the Treasury Department said a few weeks later that it was considering removing sanctions against the massive aluminum company after a surge in aluminum prices.

In an interview with CNN, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the US government knew the impact sanctions would have on Rusal. The company's founder, Deripaska, has since stepped down from his role as a non-executive director on its board.

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