Umar Kremlev says Donald Trump Jr. repaid wedding expenses

Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch and president of the International Boxing Association with close ties to Vladimir Putin, stated that Donald Trump Jr. has repaid him for expenses related to his wedding celebration. Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, Kremlev confirmed the reimbursement but expressed confusion, calling the act of repayment “ridiculous” and comparing it to sending an invoice to a guest visiting a country house.

The controversy stems from a ProPublica report detailing how Kremlev funded hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs for Trump Jr.’s May wedding to Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas. These expenses reportedly included renting private islands and an elaborate fireworks display. While President Donald Trump previously defended the arrangement as “totally allowed” and stated the funds would be returned, neither the Trump family nor Kremlev has provided public evidence of the transaction.

The situation has drawn political scrutiny, with some U.S. lawmakers, such as Senator John Curtis, calling for investigations into whether members of the Trump family are leveraging political connections for private gain.