moscow donald trump name little-known u.s. energy consultant part foreign policy team adviser ex-boss puzzle could relatively junior banker know moscow decade ago qualify brief presidential candidate carter page work russia u.s. investment bank merrill lynch paint impressive picture three-year stint 2004 say company website advise key transactions involve country big energy group sergey aleksashenko become head bank moscow operation toward end page assignment express doubt whether experience act adviser washington fraught tie kremlin strange choice say aleksashenko serve deputy finance minister deputy central bank governor 1990s run merrill russia 2006-2008 carter never person would discuss foreign policy u.s.-russian relations achievements page trump name adviser march summarize website new york-based global energy capital llc firm found leave merrill respond reuters question time russia merrill lynch decline comment contact reuters trump spokeswoman hope hicks play page role campaign mr page informal adviser name part much large group several months ago speak represent campaign official capacity say trump republican nominee name page among five foreign policy advisers interview washington post march 21. hicks answer reuters question seek clarify page do since campaign trump pick aleksashenko kremlin critic page boss 2006-07 nonresident senior fellow left-leaning brook institution washington three former merrill employees moscow also tell reuters page could play lead role bank deal due rank time show real interest expertise foreign policy shortly trump name foreign affairs team campaign member sam clovis say aim recruit people real-world military experience rather retread candidates rely people work live new york time quote clovis say look show ponies come wrong stable clovis immediately available comment russia central issue u.s. election campaign trump call president vladimir putin strong leader flat coverage trump russian state media leave little doubt would kremlin prefer candidate democratic nominee hillary clinton like trump page hold view contradict obama administration stance russia recent years express reflect kremlin view occasion february 2015 article journal global policy say u.s. policy toward russia misguide provocative blame state department precipitate ukraine conflict speech give moscow last month page also criticize western countries say hypocritical focus democratization post-soviet world event respond question time russia andrey kortunov director general russian international affairs council say trump want show incompetence weakness foreign policy pursue democrats page useful view fit aim add kortunov know trump adviser personally people u.s. bore ukraine think american problem washington involve say kortunov whose think tank close russian foreign ministry also express independent view despite hicks comment trump former campaign manager corey lewandowski tell reuters leave campaign late june page definitely adviser trump another member five-strong foreign policy team walid phares tell reuters aug. 19 page continue advise trump mid-tier banker global energy capital llc website say page responsible open merrill moscow office advisor key transactions russian firm include gazprom world top gas producer rao ues power company long exist reuters speak four former merrill employees moscow three overlap page well three moscow-based bankers compete u.s. bank business exception aleksashenko none agree speak record recollections differ page page vice president merrill mid-tier banker originate deal say aleksashenko gazprom vip client transaction client could vice president play decisive role interview bloomberg march page say advise gazprom purchase stake sakhalin energy project russia far east shell aleksashenko say merrill contribution deal merely provide straightforward document say transaction fair value gazprom shareholders alongside bank gazprom decline comment another ex-merrill banker say page general dogsbody would sit meet prepare document third ex-merrill banker whose comment corroborate aleksashenko say merrill business gazprom page work involve investor relations work page also say work deal central asia two source involve initial public offer share kazakh firm kazmunaigas ep 2006 say although merrill one ipo managers remember page participate deal bankers rival page work moscow say merrill main bank gazprom turn need raise capital although u.s. bank handle investor relations merrill act manager two gazprom eurobonds page work moscow tom adshead moscow-based consultancy macro-advisory help foreign investors russia say major player energy group bankers view market close company say adshead work moscow analyst fund manager time page merrill merrill lynch decline respond reuters question page work bank moscow trump adviser 's russia credentials come scrutiny