Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev stated Tuesday that Donald Trump Jr. has repaid him for expenses related to his wedding celebration, according to a report.
Kremlev, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Trump Jr. paid back the money he had spent on a "present" for the wedding. "Yes, he did," Kremlev told reporters at an International Boxing Association press conference in Istanbul, speaking through an interpreter. He added that he felt the repayment was unnecessary, comparing the situation to hosting guests at his home and expecting an invoice.
ProPublica reported last month that Kremlev had funded hundreds of thousands of dollars in wedding expenses for Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina Anderson, in the Bahamas. These expenses included renting one of two private islands for a three-day celebration.
Bettina Trump, in a social media post, described Kremlev as a "dear friend" who "very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding." She stated that she and her husband were married "surrounded ONLY by our family."
President Donald Trump, who did not attend his son's wedding, previously defended the arrangement, stating that the money would be repaid and that such actions are common. "That’s very common," he said in reference to giving wedding parties. "I’ve given wedding parties to numerous people."
Kremlev, recently honored by Putin with the Order of Friendship, downplayed the significance of the event, calling it a "shared event" and stating, "people blew it out of proportion."
This situation comes as Russia remains at war with Ukraine, and Trump has not brokered a peace deal between the two nations. Trump Jr. has faced scrutiny over his past interactions with Russia, notably his 2016 meeting with a Russian attorney in Trump Tower to discuss potentially damaging information about his father's political opponent.