US: Russian oligarch helped fund Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding reception

A Russian oligarch helped finance the wedding reception of Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the U.S. president, according to a report on the ProPublica website.

The report names Umar Kremlyov, president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), who is said to maintain very good relations with Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin.

According to ProPublica’s information, Kremlyov spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the lavish wedding in the Bahamas. The rental of the private island alone reportedly cost around $100,000 per night, while the fireworks display reportedly cost around $70,000.

“Friendship doesn’t require political motivation. Generosity doesn’t necessarily have hidden motives. And sometimes a wedding gift is just a wedding gift,” commented Trump’s bride, Bettina Anderson, on Instagram after the controversial report was published.

“Our good friend, Omar, very generously organized two wonderful festive evenings for us after our wedding,” she said. She called it “an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend,” expressing the couple’s gratitude.

According to the ProPublica report, Kremlyov had met with Donald Trump Jr. shortly before the wedding in May and was among several Russian guests.

U.S. President Donald Trump has previously faced accusations of ties to members of the Russian elite. In 2016, the Russian government attempted to influence the U.S. presidential election in a way that favored Trump, according to a report by the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee.