Trump Jr. Met Kremlin-Linked Businessman on Mongolia Hunting Trip, FT Reports

Donald Trump Jr., son of U.S. President Donald Trump, spent two days this summer at a remote hunting camp in western Mongolia with Umar Kremlev, a Russian businessman with close ties to the Kremlin. The Financial Times (FT) reported this on Tuesday. The story matters because experts say personal contacts between relatives of American presidents and people linked to the Kremlin pose serious security risks.

What is known about the meeting

Citing flight records and local guides, the FT says Trump Jr. was hunting wild game and was accompanied by a U.S. Secret Service protective detail. Kremlev reportedly flew by private jet from a boxing press conference in Kazakhstan to Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar, and then travelled directly to Trump Jr.'s camp. A local who took part in the trip told the FT that the two men were careful about being photographed together.

The Mongolian expedition was partly funded through a charity auction in which winning bidders paid up to $140,000 for access to the president's son.

Earlier connection

The outlet ProPublica previously revealed that Kremlev had partly paid for Trump Jr.'s wedding on a private Caribbean island in May. President Trump later said his son had repaid Kremlev for those expenses.

Kremlev is under Ukrainian sanctions because of his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin through Alexei Rubezhny, head of Putin's security service. Kremlev heads the International Boxing Association (IBA).

Spokesperson's response

Trump Jr.'s spokesperson told the FT that the friendship with Kremlev is largely based on a shared love of hunting, fishing and the outdoors. According to the spokesperson, it is a personal friendship rather than a business relationship, and nobody should be surprised that they went hunting together. Kremlev did not respond to the FT's requests for comment.