purpose of the communications with Deripaska and that are consistent with Gates’s account. For example, in response to a July 7, 2016, email from a Ukrainian reporter about Manafort’s failed Deripaska-backed investment, Manafort asked Kilimnik whether there had been any movement on “this issue 897 with our friend.” Gates stated that “our friend” likely referred to 898 Deripaska, and Manafort told the Office that the “issue” (and “our biggest 899 interest,” as stated below) was a solution to the Deripaska-Pericles issue. Kilimnik replied: I am carefully optimistic on the question of our biggest interest. Our friend [Boyarkin] said there is lately significantly more attention to the campaign in his boss’ [Deripaska’s] mind, and he will be most likely looking for ways to reach out to you pretty soon, understanding all the time sensitivity. I am more than sure that it will be resolved and we will 900 get back to the original relationship with V.’s boss [Deripaska]. Eight minutes later, Manafort replied that Kilimnik should tell Boyarkin’s “boss,” a reference to Deripaska, “that if he needs private briefings we can 901 accommodate.” Manafort has alleged to the Office that he was willing to brief Deripaska only on public campaign matters and gave an example: why 902 Trump selected Mike Pence as the Vice-Presidential running mate. Manafort 903 said he never gave Deripaska a briefing. Manafort noted that if Trump won, Deripaska would want to use Manafort to advance whatever interests Deripaska 904 had in the United States and elsewhere. iii. Paul Manafort’s Two Campaign-Period Meetings with Konstantin Kilimnik in the United States Manafort twice met with Kilimnik in person during the campaign period— once in May and again in August 2016. The first meeting took place on May 7, 905 2016, in New York City. In the days leading to the meeting, Kilimnik had been working to gather information about the political situation in Ukraine. That included information gleaned from a trip that former Party of Regions official Yuriy Boyko had recently taken to Moscow—a trip that likely included meetings