 Yuri Trutnev, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment and Rybolovlev's close friend, spoke out in favor of the company.However, because he was not directly involved in the investigation, analysts dismissed his statements as the “personal opinion of one government official.” It has later been alleged that Rybolovlev manages Trutnev's assets outside Russia.In December 2008, Uralkali pledged to pay $218 million to the Russian government as compensation for costs incurred by the mine collapse.