Putin-linked Russian oligarch, Melania links: Why Trump skipped his son’s Bahamas wedding bash?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Putin-linked Russian oligarch, Melania links: Why Trump skipped his son’s Bahamas wedding bash?")
Donald Trump Jr and wife Bettina confirmed that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev helped pay for their Bahamas wedding Photograph: (AFP, Instagram)
Donald Trump Jr and wife Bettina confirmed that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev helped pay for their Bahamas wedding celebrations, calling it a generous gift from a friend. Kremlev’s ties to Putin have prompted statements from Melania Trump and Eric distancing themselves.
Donald Trump Jr and his wife, Bettina, confirmed on Monday (Sep 15) that a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin partially paid for the couple’s wedding celebrations in May, prompting US President Donald Trump's family to issue statements distancing themselves from the matter. A report by ProPublica claimed that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the wedding celebration in Bahmas. While Donald Trump Jr and his wife, Bettina have now confirmed the development, insisting that it was a “gift” from a friend, First Lady Melania said that she was not involved in wedding plans and did not know anything about Umar Kremlev's involvement.
What is the matter?
A ProPublica report published on Sep 14 revealed that Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin, paid the rent of one of the islands where a reception was held and where guests slept, along with other large expenses, including a huge firework show. The luxurious bash on a private island was attended by several Trump children, including Ivanka and her husband Jared, Eric and Lara, Tiffany and her husband Michael, and many grandchildren. But Trump and Melania skipped the party citing escalating Iran war.As the news came out, Robert Garcia, the ranking member and lead Democrat on the House oversight committee, asked: “Why did a Russian oligarch close to Putin fund Trump Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas? Umar Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the President’s son. What did he get in return? We need answers."
Statement by Trump Jr and wife Bettina
Trump Jr, the US president’s eldest child and his wife Bettina in a statement said that the arrangements were “an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful.” Donald Trump Jr, the president's eldest son, is a private citizen, so it is not illegal for him to accept gifts from a foreign national. "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. .'Friendship doesn’t require a political motive. Generosity doesn’t automatically come with an agenda,’ Bettina added saying, “So, for anyone determined not to let the facts get in the way of a good story: NO CONSPIRACY, NO MYSTERY. Just a private family wedding, a wonderful weekend with friends and one hell of a party."
Statement by Melania Trump and Eric
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A statement from First Lady Melania Trump's office states: "Mrs. Trump does not, and has never had, a relationship with Mr. Kremlev. Mrs. Trump played no role whatsoever in organizing the wedding event and was not privy to any aspect of its financial planning." Trump Jr’s brother Eric, also distanced himself from Kremlev. “Eric has absolutely no clue who this person is, nor has never heard his name,” his spokesman told ProPublica.
The necessity for issuing a statement was because this Russian oligarch is accused leading an organization called – Healthy Fatherland – that facilitates the abduction of Ukrainian children from occupied territories while Melania Trump leads a campaign to reunite children who have been kidnapped from Ukraine and taken to Russia during the ongoing war.
Who is Umar Kremlev?
Umar Kremlev is the head of the International Boxing Association (IBA), a sporting body that has been backed by the state-owned Russian energy company Gazprom. According to ProPublica, the wedding payments came from an IBA-affiliated entity in Dubai that the boxing association uses for financial transactions. He is believed to one from Putin's inner circle. He reportedly went to China as part of a delegation accompanying Putin, and the month prior the Russian president had bestowed him with a state honor, the Order of Friendship. The Ukrainian government has imposed sanctions on Kremlev, citing his closeness to Putin and Russian security services.
