Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s youngest son, Hunter, has been appointed head of legal affairs at Ukraine’s largest private gas producer.

Burisma Holdings said in a statement that Hunter Biden will be in charge of the company’s legal unit and will provide support for the company among international organizations.

“Burisma’s track record of innovations and industry leadership in the field of natural gas means that it can be a strong driver of a strong economy in Ukraine,” Mr. Biden said.

“As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company on matters of transparency, corporate governance and responsibility, international expansion and other priorities will contribute to the economy and benefit the people of Ukraine,” he said.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday that Mr. Biden’s new position “does not reflect an endorsement by the administration,” Time magazine’s Zeke Miller reported.

The announcement comes just one day after Russia’s state energy giant Gazprom threatened to halt natural gas shipments to Ukraine unless the country pays in advance for supplies.

The vice president has condemned Russia for its intervention in Ukraine and has pledged to support efforts to reduce its dependency on Russian energy, The Moscow Times reported.

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