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Trump Jr., Bettina Trump Say Putin Ally Paid for Some Wedding Celebrations
Confirmed
In Short: A statement from Donald Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina revealed that a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin funded part of their wedding festivities in the Bahamas.
A post on their Instagram account stated that two nights of their three-day wedding celebration were partially funded by Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin. The couple expressed gratitude for the generous gift from a friend.
ProPublica reported that Kremlev paid for a fireworks display and other costs, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Kremlev also attended part of the wedding, according to the report.
Kremlev's involvement in the wedding has highlighted the deep connections between Russian oligarchs and the Trump family, with Kremlev having facilitated meetings with Putin and former American boxing star Roy Jones Jr. in the past.
What's confirmed
- A post on their Instagram account stated that two nights of their three-day wedding celebration were partially funded by Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin. The couple expressed gratitude for the generous gift from a friend.
- ProPublica reported that Kremlev paid for a fireworks display and other costs, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Kremlev also attended part of the wedding, according to the report.
- Kremlev's involvement in the wedding has highlighted the deep connections between Russian oligarchs and the Trump family, with Kremlev having facilitated meetings with Putin and former American boxing star Roy Jones Jr. in the past.
What's still developing
- The statement was released Monday after investigative journalism outlet ProPublica published a story detailing that Kremlev paid "hundreds of thousands of dollars" for the celebration.
- "Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding. It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful," the couple said in the statement.
- Libowitz, of CREW, said either the president, who is a billionaire, or Trump Jr – who is worth $300 million, according to Forbes – could have paid for the full wedding to avoid a conflict of interest.
- Donald Trump Jr's wife, Bettina Trump, confirmed that their May wedding was paid for in part by an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- "You can see how [Putin] would enjoy all this press about how people in his circle are cozying up to people in the president's circle." According to the ProPublica article, the couple got married on a private island in the Bahamas, then held a two-day celebration on a separate island that rents for approximately $100,000 per night.
- Earlier this year Kremlev was part of a delegation that visited China with Putin.
- If Ratcliffe thought he could get Putin to desist, he was indulging in wishful thinking.
- The war, which Putin launched expecting a quick and complete victory, was not an accident.