Donald Trump Jr. and his new wife, Bettina, confirmed Monday that part of the celebrations surrounding their May wedding in the Bahamas were funded by Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a statement posted to Bettina Trump’s Instagram account and signed by the couple, she described Kremlev as a “dear friend” who “very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding.”
Donald Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina
(Photo: Instagram)
“It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful,” the statement said.
The confirmation came after investigative outlet ProPublica reported earlier Monday that Kremlev, who heads the International Boxing Association, had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars toward expenses connected to the three-day celebration.
According to the report, Kremlev covered costs including the rental of one of two private islands where festivities were held, as well as a fireworks display.
Bettina Trump said she and Trump Jr., the son of U.S. President Donald Trump, had actually married in a private ceremony attended only by family before the larger gathering began.
“The weekend that followed had actually been planned well in advance as a fun weekend with friends. It was never intended to be our wedding weekend,” she wrote. “When our original wedding plans changed, we simply decided to get married before it and arrived at an already planned weekend as newlyweds.”
She rejected suggestions that Kremlev’s involvement carried any political significance.
“It’s unfortunate that something so personal and happy can be recast as something political or sinister simply because of who someone is or where they come from,” the statement said. “Friendship doesn’t require a political motive. Generosity doesn’t automatically come with an agenda. And sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift.”
Kremlev has close ties to Putin. He was recently awarded Russia’s Order of Friendship by the Russian president, according to the International Boxing Association, and accompanied Putin to China as part of a Russian delegation, according to Chinese state media cited by ProPublica.
The revelation comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues and as President Trump has yet to broker the peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv that he had promised.
Trump Jr.’s connections to Russians have drawn scrutiny before. During the 2016 presidential campaign, his meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower became a major focus of federal and congressional investigations into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia’s efforts to interfere in the election.
The meeting had been presented to Trump Jr. as an opportunity to receive potentially damaging information about Hillary Clinton, his father’s Democratic opponent, as part of what was described as an effort by the Russian government to help Donald Trump win the White House.