US President Donald Trump has said he believes his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., repaid a Russian businessman who reportedly covered the cost of two lavish nights of wedding celebrations in the Bahamas earlier this year.
The wedding celebrations involving Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump took place in May. On Monday, the couple publicly acknowledged that their “dear friend” Umar Kremlev had “very generously hosted two incredible nights” as part of their celebrations.
The arrangement quickly attracted public attention because of Kremlev’s reported connections to Russia and the questions it raised about ethics, foreign influence and the acceptance of expensive gifts from prominent international figures.
Asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office whether it was appropriate for his son to accept such a gift, Trump said he understood that Donald Trump Jr. had paid Kremlev back.
“It’s totally allowed but as I understand it, he paid him back,” Trump said.
Trump compared the situation to the practice of friends paying for wedding celebrations, saying that giving parties for friends is something he had heard of before.
When asked why Donald Trump Jr. had not previously publicly mentioned the repayment, Trump said he had personally asked his son about the matter after hearing about the story.
“When I heard the story, I asked about it and he said ‘No, I’m paying him back, Dad,’ and that was a while ago, so I’ve heard he’s paid him,” Trump said.
The controversy emerged after investigative news organisation ProPublica reported that Kremlev had paid for the wedding celebrations, with the cost reportedly reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Trump previously said that he did not know Kremlev. He also did not attend his son’s wedding, explaining that he was occupied with talks related to the Iran war.
Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump addressed the issue themselves in a joint Instagram post, defending their decision to accept the hospitality.
The couple described Kremlev as a friend and said they believed it was unfortunate that a personal celebration had become the subject of political controversy.
“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,” they wrote.
Kremlev is the president of the International Boxing Association, or IBA. The organisation has faced scrutiny from the International Olympic Committee, which severed its relationship with the association following concerns that included financial governance and ethical issues.
According to an IBA press release, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented Kremlev with the Order of Friendship in April 2026. The release included a photograph of Putin and Kremlev together.
Kremlev has also appeared publicly with Donald Trump Jr. The IBA website featured photographs of the two men together at an event in Istanbul in September 2025.
ProPublica also published a group photograph from the wedding that it said appeared to show Kremlev at the event.
Russian investigative outlet Proekt has reported on Kremlev’s background and alleged connections in Russia. According to the outlet, Kremlev is originally from Tajikistan and previously worked as a boxing promoter before developing links with Russia’s Federal Protective Service, known as the FSO.
Proekt has also reported that Kremlev is a member of the Night Wolves, a Russian biker organisation known for its support of the Kremlin. Members of the group travelled to Crimea following Russia’s annexation of the peninsula in 2014, while some have also been reported to have fought alongside pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The latest controversy comes against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s long history of political scrutiny surrounding Russia. During his first presidential term, his campaign was investigated over allegations concerning possible coordination with Russia during the 2016 election. Trump repeatedly rejected the allegations and described the investigation as a “witch hunt.”
At the centre of the current story is a relatively simple question that has become politically sensitive: who paid for the wedding celebrations, whether the money was later repaid, and what relationship exists between the people involved.
Trump says his son repaid Kremlev. Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump have defended the friendship and the wedding arrangement. The issue has nevertheless drawn renewed attention because of Kremlev’s public position, his reported relationship with Russian institutions and the broader political sensitivity surrounding Trump and Russia.
For the Trump family, what was presented as a private wedding celebration has now become another public discussion involving money, international relationships and political scrutiny.
