The decision was made based on Article 104, Part Three, Clause One of the Immigration Law, according to which the inclusion of a foreigner in the list of persona non grata falls under the authority of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ovechkin faced criticism again ahead of the parliamentary elections in Russia after appearing in political advertising supporting Vladimir Putin. Kreml was at the center of a scandal following the publication of an investigation into the financing of the wedding of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., which took place in May in the Bahamas. The investigative publication ProPublica, citing documents and three informed sources, reported that Kreml paid for the rental of the island where the wedding took place, costing about $100,000 per night, fireworks for $70,000, and other expenses related to organizing the celebration. According to the publication, the payments were made through a Dubai-registered company linked to IBA. A representative of Trump Jr. did not deny that Kreml partially funded the wedding and referred to him as a personal friend of the groom. According to him, both share a love for boxing and outdoor recreation. The press service of Kreml stated that IBA did not pay for the wedding but refused to comment on the payments made by the Dubai-registered organization. As previously reported by the Russian publication "Project," until 2010, Kreml bore the surname Lutfulloev. According to the publication, before changing his surname, he was convicted twice for extortion and assault. Kreml has headed IBA since 2020. During this time, the organization received tens of millions of dollars from Gazprom. In 2023, the International Olympic Committee stripped IBA of the right to hold Olympic boxing tournaments, citing, among other things, insufficient transparency in its finances.
