President Trump deserves credit for targeting Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, in the latest round of U.S. sanctions.

Deripaska is a cut-out, or intermediary, for Russian President Valdimir Putin and thus a key power broker in the Russian regime. The Treasury Department's sanction notice publicly outlines as much, explaining that "Deripaska is being designated pursuant to [executive order] 13661 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a senior official of the Government of the Russian Federation."

Still, reflecting the need for greater U.S. government understanding of Russian strategy and Deripaska's ability to inform that need, there is another step Trump should now take.

The U.S. should now follow up and grant asylum to Deripaska's former escort, Anastasia Vashukevich, who is currently in the custody of the Thai government, because there is credible reason to suggest that she could provide valuable information on the Russian government's intelligence efforts to target the U.S. election, on Putin's broader strategy, and on the interlinks between Russian organized crime and the Kremlin.

Time is of the essence here. While the Thai government is a close U.S. ally that would likely respond favorably to U.S. requests to take hold of her, her personal security is very much in question. After all, Thai prisons aren't exactly citadels of security, and the moment that Deripaska or Putin's cronies can target her, they will do so. If they can do it in Salisbury, they can do it in Bangkok.

Trump must build on the initiative today's sanctions have given him and get Vashukevich onto U.S. soil.