US commerce chief defends Russian business links

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has defended personal business links to Russia revealed by the Paradise Papers. Ross indicated he could end the links but not because of any wrongdoing. “I think the media has made a lot more out of it than it deserves,” Ross told the BBC. Ross insisted that “there is no impropriety”. Ross’s ties raise questions over potential conflicts of interest, and whether they undermine US sanctions on Moscow.