German businessman Wadim Rosenstein has denied allegations that companies associated with him circumvented sanctions on Russia, saying reports about earlier transactions omit key dates and the roles of separate companies. His response appeared in an Apostrophe interview summarized by UNN.
Rosenstein said WR Group companies do not enter new contracts with Russian counterparties. He disputed suggestions that European parts of the group directed footwear imports by a Russian company, and said logistics work described in other reports concerned orders from European partners between 2019 and 2021. These are his explanations; the interview does not independently establish the ownership, counterparties, dates or legal status of each transaction.
The dispute has drawn wider attention because Rosenstein ran for president of the International Chess Federation, FIDE. FIDE says Timur Turlov defeated him 110 votes to 85 in the second round of the 26 September election. Rosenstein also says he has challenged that result, a separate matter from whether any company breached sanctions rules.
Business and sponsorship context
The German Chess Federation said in August that its sponsorship agreement with WR Events extended an existing relationship and carried no obligation concerning the FIDE election or voting. That statement addresses the federation's sponsorship arrangement; it is not a determination about the Russia-related business allegations.
For businesses and readers assessing the claims, the distinction is straightforward: a candidate's denial, a federation's statement about sponsorship and an official election result are different kinds of evidence. None of those sources alone resolves the disputed sanctions questions.