Thai model offers White House secrets to US

A MODEL embroiled in a scandal involving a Russian oligarch has asked the US embassy in Thailand for political asylum, promising information on Donald Trump’s ties to Moscow if she can avoid extradition to Russia.

Anastasia Vashukevich and nine other Russians were arrested for working illegally in Thailand on Monday after police burst into an alleged “sex training” session she was holding at a hotel in the resort city of Pattaya. The Kremlin’s top security official arrived in Thailand the next day. A representative of Ms Vashukevich told The Daily Telegraph yesterday that she would be extradited to Russia in 48 hours.

Ms Vashukevich caused a scandal by posting Instagram videos in which it is claimed Oleg Deripaska, the Russian metals tycoon, is seen discussing US relations with Sergei Prikhodko, the deputy prime minister of Russia, on a yacht in August 2016. The clips were published online by Alexei Navalny, the opposition politician. In a letter to the US consul seen by The Telegraph, Alexander Kirillov, Ms Vashukevich’s partner, claims Ms Vashukevich had been Mr Deripaska’s “mistress” for a year and alleges she has “important information” about the “crimes” of the Russian government.

A spokesman for Mr Deripaska denied Ms Vashukevich had been his mistress and said her claims were an attempt to “politicise the accusations of the Thai police”. Her “endless fictitious stories” distracted from her “real violations”, the spokesman said.