Tillerson developed his close ties with Putin as he negotiated a deal with Russian oil giant Rosneft to provide access to lucrative oil resources in the Arctic. The agreement will be at the center of his confirmation hearing.
For his efforts, Putin awarded Tillerson Russia's prestigious Order of Friendship in 2013. The deal has so far not yielded its promise.
Exxon was hit hard by a round of US and European Union sanctions that targeted Russia in 2014 for its intervention in Ukraine. Exxon said it could have lost up to $1 billion due to the sanctions, according to regulatory filings.
The sanctions issue will provide ammunition for Democratic senators keen to probe apparent glaring conflicts of interests across the nascent Trump administration.
Even if Tillerson were to sever all links and investments related to ExxonMobil, action he took as secretary of state -- for instance, advocating the lifting of sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Ukraine -- could clearly benefit the firm and his former industry.
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