MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. The Kremlin is skeptical that businessman Oleg Deripaska’s potential exodus from En+ and Rusal management may be linked to the release of the so-called "Kremlin List" in the US, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

The Russian daily, Kommersant, reported that Deripaska plans to leave his top executive position in the companies, citing sources close to Rusal stockholders.

"I do not think it is appropriate to link [this topic] in any way with these US lists," Peskov said responding to a question, on whether the personnel reshuffling could be due to the "Kremlin List" publication in the United States, which included Deripaska. "Everything taking place [now] in the country, in business, and so on, all this has been in progress even after the release of that report, and therefore I do not think there is any association with the issue of the ["Kremlin"] list," Peskov said.

Reshuffling management in these companies is not the Kremlin’s responsibility, Peskov pointed out.

According to the Kommersant, Deripaska is expected step down in order to develop the Gaz Group and a strategic partnership with Germany’s Volkswagen. Staff transfers will be discussed at the end of this week, the newspaper said.

A conflict between Deripaska and Vladimir Potanin over the shares in Norilsk Nickel and landing on the US Treasury Department’s "Kremlin List" are among some possible causes for this decision by the businessman, the newspaper’s sources say.