Vladimir Putin’s alleged lover has been hit with sanctions by the US government’s Treasury department over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Alina Kabaeva, 39, landed on the latest update to the federal Office of Foreign Assets Control’s list of specially designated nationals, freezing any of her assets in the United States and generally barring Americans from dealing with she
The move came just over three months after the White House said neither Kabaeva, a former famed rhythmic gymnast, nor anyone else was safe from sanctions, even after her last-minute withdrawal from a round of these sanctions in April.
UK officials had similarly sanctioned Kabaeva, who is now chairman of Russia’s New Media Group, the country’s largest private media company, in May.
Western countries have imposed economic sanctions on Putin’s associates and loved ones to punish the 69-year-old Russian president for his decision to invade Ukraine in February. The US has avoided a direct confrontation with Russia over the invasion, although it has provided billions of dollars in weapons and other resources to help Ukraine.
The Kremlin has long denied that Putin, who is divorced, is romantically involved with Kabaeva, but several published reports suggest she is the mother of at least some of his children. A Moscow newspaper that, in 2008, reported that Putin and Kabaeva were involved despite the fact that he was still married at the time, was closed soon after for unclear reasons.
Kabaeva, who is originally from Uzbekistan, won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She later spent more than six years as a lawmaker in Putin’s United Russia party before taking over the National Media Group in 2014, her only previous experience in the business sector was her hosting of a television talk show.