WASHINGTON — First daughter-in-law Bettina Trump claimed Monday that a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin was acting as a “close friend” when he footed the bill for the celebration of her May wedding to Donald Trump Jr.
Umar Kremlev shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars for several items related to the couple’s May 21 nuptials on a private island in the Bahamas, including paying for an additional private island to host the reception as well as a fireworks show, ProPublica reported.
“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,” Bettina wrote on Instagram.
Kremlev was one of about 50 guests — along with Don Jr’s younger siblings Eric, Ivanka and Tiffany. President Trump did not attend, nor did first lady Melania Trump or the couple’s son Barron.
It’s unclear why Don Jr. — who Forbes says is worth $300 million — didn’t pay for the party himself.
The first son and Kremlev met through “hunting” and are “personal” friends, but are not in business together, a spokesman for Don Jr. told ProPublica.
A spokesperson for Eric Trump told the outlet he “has absolutely no clue who this person [Kremlev] is, nor has [he] ever heard his name.”
Kremlev’s office told ProPublica that he has “a friendly relationship” with the president’s oldest son, adding: “Mr. Kremlev has never discussed political matters with any of his American friends and acquaintances.”
Days before attending the wedding, Kremlev was in China as part of a delegation accompanying Putin on a state visit, according to Beijing’s official media. The 43-year-old is best known as head of the International Boxing Association, a position he has held since 2020. During that period, the International Olympic Committee revoked its recognition of the IBA due to a purported lack of progress dealing with alleged corruption. Kremlev and Don Jr., a devotee of combat sports like his father, participated in an IBA panel event in Istanbul last year.
Kremlev is also tied to an organization called Healthy Fatherland, which is run by his wife’s twin sister. The group is under Ukrainian sanctions for allegedly helping abduct children from occupied territories and relocating them in Russia. Melania Trump has worked to reunite kidnapped Ukrainian children with their families.
Ukraine has also personally sanctioned Kremlev for his ties to Putin, who presented the oligarch with a medal the Medal of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” in March 2020.
Bettina Trump claimed the actual wedding ceremony was reserved for family “only” but the planned weekend getaway that followed was given over to celebrating with friends.
“It was never intended to be our wedding weekend. When our original wedding plans changed, we simply decided to get married before it and arrived at an already planned weekend as newlyweds,” she wrote.
“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,” added Bettina, whose initial desire for a White House wedding was scuppered by the war with Iran. “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.
“We are fortunate to have wonderful friends from all over the world, and we will never be embarrassed or apologetic about being grateful for them.”
