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Donald Trump Jr. (Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Picture)
Umar Kremlev, an oligarch close to Russian dictator Vladimir
Putin, funded the recent wedding of Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the U.S.
president, ProPublica reported
on Sept. 13.
Shortly afterwards, Bettina Anderson, the wife of the president's son, confirmed the report, according to CBS News.
ProPublica reported the details of the arrangement, citing documents and interviews with people familiar with the matter.
According to the publication, Kremlev paid hundreds of
thousands of dollars in wedding expenses. He reportedly paid to rent a private
island and covered other major costs, including an elaborate fireworks show.
The payments came from a Dubai-based entity linked to the International Boxing
Association, which Kremlev leads.
In addition to Kremlev, the wedding included “a large group of people whose presence puzzled other guests. Sometimes they stood apart, speaking Russian,” ProPublica reported.
Kremlev is considered close to Putin. Several days before Trump Jr.’s wedding, Kremlev was in China as part of a delegation accompanying Putin. A month earlier, Putin awarded him the Order of Friendship.
Ukraine has imposed sanctions on Kremlev, citing his close ties to Putin and Russian intelligence services.
In a statement released via Instagram, Anderson described Kremlev’s financial contribution as “an extraordinarily generous wedding gift,” CBS News reported.
“Anderson said the Russian businessman, whom she called ‘our dear friend,’ hosted two nights of celebrations after their wedding,” the report said.
“It's not clear how they became acquainted with Kremlev.
Anderson said in her post, ‘friendship doesn't require a political motive.”
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