EU sanctions Putin’s alleged girlfriend Alina Kabaeva

The EU has imposed sanctions on Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast who’s alleged to have an in depth private relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in its newest package deal of punitive measures over the struggle in Ukraine.

Kabaeva won’t be able to journey to the EU and any property she has within the bloc will likely be frozen as a part of the package deal that was adopted on Friday and entered into pressure later within the day with publication within the EU’s Official Journal.

Kabaeva was sanctioned by the U.Okay. final month. She has been reported to be in a relationship with Putin, though the Russian president has denied this.

“Alina Kabaeva is the Chairwoman of the Board of Administrators of the Nationwide Media Group (NMG), a holding that owns giant stakes in nearly all main Russian federal media that reproduce the Russian Authorities propaganda. She is a former Russian gymnast and a former member of the State Duma. She is carefully related to President Vladimir Putin,” the official EU textual content mentioned.

“She is due to this fact accountable for supporting actions and insurance policies which undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, in addition to stability and safety in Ukraine. Moreover, she is related to a listed particular person accountable for and actively supporting actions undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, in addition to stability and safety in Ukraine.”

The EU’s sixth spherical of sanctions towards Russia over its invasion of Ukraine was offered by European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen in early Might however approval was held up for weeks, primarily because of Hungarian issues over the oil embargo that shaped the centerpiece of the package deal.

Even after EU leaders agreed a deal that may enable Budapest to proceed importing Russian oil by way of pipeline, Hungary threw one other spanner within the works by demanding Patriarch Kirill, chief of the Russian Orthodox Church, be dropped from the sanctions listing.

A number of EU diplomats had been annoyed by Hungary’s last-minute transfer however, eager to get the package deal lastly accepted, they acceded to Budapest’s demand.