‘Butinas financial backer directly linked to VTB & Sberbank. Those two banks lead directly to Cyprus. Paul Manafort, Wilbur Ross & Cyprus you say? ‘
‘Konstantin Nikolaev worked with two banks and two oligarchs who are all now under US sanctions. Nikolaev was also appointed to a Russian military advisory panel, while his wife has a senior role at a state-backed arms company.
Maria Butina, a 29-year-old Russian woman charged with working to infiltrate the National Rifle Association (NRA) and influence US politics, told senate investigators that Nikolaev, a transportation magnate, gave her financial backing, according to a source with knowledge of her testimony.’