In addition to his interest in young Russian women, sex offender Jeffrey Epstein maintained close relationships with Kremlin insiders, according to documents released by the US Department of Justice on January 30. Attracted by the financial opportunities of an emerging Russia, which he saw as a land of plenty, and fascinated by its oligarchs, the financier built a network of connections with government decision-makers. Between 2011 and 2019, he served as a facilitator for Russian elites, arranging not only sexual orgies but also real estate deals and offshore financial schemes.

Yet his repeated requests to meet with Vladimir Putin appeared to go unanswered, as did his desire to travel to Russia, despite numerous visa applications, including one in 2011 at the invitation of Vympel, the association of veterans of Russian special services.

In a letter sent on June 24, 2018, to former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland, who hadthe ear of the Russian leader, the financier asked him to arrange a meeting with Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, to whom he promised to provide “information.”

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