Donald Trump Jr. spent two days hunting in Mongolia in August with Russian businessman Umar Kremlyov, who has ties to Putinʼs inner circle.
This is reported by the Financial Times (FT), which spoke with local guides and officials, as well as analyzed flight data, social media posts, and open registers.
In late August, Trump Jr. flew to the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, and from there traveled to the Uvs province in the west of the country. There, he stayed at a hunting camp with several guides, drivers, and cooks.
On August 27, Umar Kremlyov, president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), arrived in Mongolia. He was accompanied by Russian businessman Artur Martirosov, a partner in the “Voskhod” venture fund, which is under US sanctions.
According to the FTʼs interlocutor, Kremlyov and Trump Jr. tried not to be photographed together. At the same time, the Russian published a video on his Telegram account about preparing for the hunt, which shows two organizers of Trump Jr.ʼs trip.
Financial Times
After spending two days at the camp with the US presidentʼs son, Kremlyov returned to Ulaanbaatar, then headed to Yakutsk for a boxing match under the auspices of IBA.
Meanwhile, Trump Jr. remained in Mongolia for another week: he traveled from Uvs aimag to Bayan-Ulgiy aimag, where he hunted Altai ibex.
He was joined, in particular, by one of the winners of the Safari Club International charity auction and longtime Republican Party donor Kevin Small.
Financial Times
At charity auctions, the right to go hunting with Trump Jr. was sold for large sums. At one of them, the bid reached $225 000, and at another, such a trip cost $140 000.
Financial Times
After the hunt, Trump Jr. returned to Ulaanbaatar, where he had dinner with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. A Mongolian government spokesman initially wrote on Facebook that they discussed US-Mongolia relations and business opportunities, but the post was later deleted.
A representative for the US presidentʼs son told reporters that Trump Jr. and Kremlyov are just friends and have no business relationship. According to him, they share a love of hunting, fishing, and outdoor activities.
However, former National Security Council counterintelligence director Golden Triplett noted that such connections could pose a risk. According to him, Russian intelligence agencies will try to exploit any contacts with people who have access to influential people.
Who is Umar Kremlyov?
Kremlev has close ties to the Russian government. He headed the Russian Boxing Federation in 2017 and became president of the International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2020. The organization has received major sponsorship from Russiaʼs state-owned Gazprom. Kremlyov was also part of Putinʼs delegation on his trip to China this year.
According to FT, Kremlyov was convicted of extortion and assault in his youth. He previously had the surname Lutfulloev, but in 2010 he changed it to Kremlyov.
The publication writes that Trump Jr. and Kremlyov first met publicly last year at the IBA event in Istanbul.
Kremlyov was also a guest at Trump Jr.ʼs wedding celebrations on a private Caribbean island in May and paid for some of the expenses. After an investigation by journalists broke the news, Donald Trump said his son had returned the money to Kremlev.
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