🔶 Controversial gift from Putin’s close figure to Trump’s son

Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the U.S. president, has confirmed that Umar Kremlev, a Russian businessman and president of the International Boxing Federation, financed part of the celebrations after his wedding in the Bahamas. Kremlev is among the figures close to Vladimir Putin and, only a few weeks before this event, had received Russia’s state order of friendship from the Russian president.

The revelation of this relationship and the cost Kremlev paid for the family celebrations of the U.S. president’s son has raised questions about the motivation behind this gift and his relationship with the Trump family. Former U.S. national security experts say that paying major expenses for such an event could be seen as a kind of investment in building a connection; although no evidence has been published so far.

The story dates back to the wedding celebrations of Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson in May in the Bahamas. According to an investigative report by ProPublica, an American nonprofit investigative media outlet, Kremlev covered a significant portion of the cost of these three-day festivities, including the rental of one of the private islands where the ceremony was held, accommodations for the guests, and the cost of fireworks.

By reviewing documents and interviewing three people familiar with the event, ProPublica estimated the value of the expenses paid by Kremlev in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The payments were made through an entity affiliated with the International Boxing Federation in Dubai.

According to this report, the private island used as the venue is rented for about $100,000 per night, and the cost of the fireworks show was estimated at about $70,000.