BERLIN, May 2 (Reuters) - Raiffeisen Bank International's (RBI) acquisition of a stake in construction firm Strabag linked to a Russian tycoon remains under careful assessment for any compliance risk, the biggest Western bank in Russia said on Thursday.
RBI wants to buy a stake in Strabag linked to Oleg Deripaska for 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion), a contested deal that has renewed international pressure on the Austrian lender.
Austrian authorities have urged RBI to drop the deal fearing a backlash from the United States, people familiar with the matter said, a blow to RBI's plans to unlock funds stranded in Russia.
In recent weeks, Austrian central bank officials have warned RBI about the deal, cautioning it could backfire if the U.S. penalises the bank, said one person with direct knowledge of those discussions.
RBI is buying the stake in Vienna-based Strabag from a company the construction group identified as earlier controlled by Deripaska.
The move had come under fire from the U.S. Treasury because Deripaska is sanctioned, exacerbating tensions between Washington and RBI, which is already under scrutiny from U.S. sanctions enforcement agency OFAC.
Two years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, RBI's continued presence in Russia underlines the ties between Moscow and Vienna - whether via Russian gas pipelines or Vienna serving as a hub for cash from Russia and former Soviet states.
Writing by Andrey Sychev and John O'Donnell, Editing by Rachel More
Source: Reuters