Trump says son reimbursed Russian oligarch who funded wedding celebrations
"When I heard the story, I asked him, and he said, 'I'm paying him back, Dad,'" Trump told reporters on Sept. 18.
On September 18, President Donald Trump revealed that his son, Donald Trump Jr., had informed him that he would reimburse Russian businessman Umar Kremlev for his contributions toward the expenses of Trump Jr.'s wedding celebrations in May. Trump confirmed to reporters that he was aware of Don's payment to Kremlev. The expenses included renting a private island for the wedding festivities, a reception, and a fireworks display.
Kremlev, a close associate of President Vladimir Putin, covered hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs associated with the wedding. Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina Trump, acknowledged Kremlev's involvement in the celebrations, describing him as a friend who had hosted two nights of festivities after their private wedding as a gift.
Kremlev has been the head of the International Boxing Association (IBA) since 2020 and has had strong ties with the Kremlin. He was awarded Russia's Order of Friendship by Putin and traveled to China as part of a Russian business delegation before the wedding. Under Kremlev's leadership, the IBA received significant financial support from Russia's Gazprom energy company, which became its general partner in 2021.
The IBA's sponsorship agreement with Gazprom ended at the end of 2022. The International Olympic Committee had already withdrawn its recognition of the IBA in 2023 due to disputes over its governance, finances, and sporting integrity. Ukraine has imposed sanctions on Kremlev, targeting several Russian figures for their support of Moscow and links to the Russian state following the full-scale invasion.
These revelations led to an investigation by Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, who requested records related to the payments due to national security and public corruption concerns. Trump initially stated that he had "no idea who Umar is" and had "never heard of him."
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
