Jeffery Epstein sought to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin through former prime minister Ehud Barak, The New York Times reports.
The attempt to meet Putin was part of a broader attempt by Epstein to connect with Russian leaders around 2014, the report says, basing the information on last month’s release of files from the Epstein case. Epstein and Barak met repeatedly. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Barak.
Along with Barak, Epstein sought meetings with Putin via two Norwegian diplomats and the foreign minister of Slovakia. Epstein also attempted to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, report says.
Epstein did not appear to have secured a meeting with either Putin or Lavrov, although he met with Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Epstein had widespread contacts in Russia, seeing the country as an outlet for political and business benefits, and a source of women for his trafficking operations, the report says.
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