EU Takes Action Against Putin's '31 Years Younger' Partner... Travel Ban and Other Sanctions Announced

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Alina Kabaeva
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Foreign media reported that the European Union (EU) is pushing for sanctions against Alina Kabaeva, known as the partner of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On the 5th (local time), the British Guardian reported that the EU Commission included Kabaeva among dozens of new individuals to be sanctioned in the draft of the 6th round of sanctions against Russia.

Kabaeva, a 2004 Olympic gymnastics gold medalist, was nominated by Russia's ruling party, United Russia, immediately after her retirement and served as a member of parliament for about eight years. In 2014, she was appointed chairperson of Russia's largest media company, National Media Group.

Rumors about her relationship with President Putin first surfaced in 2008. At that time, a media outlet reported that President Putin was planning to divorce and marry Kabaeva. There were also rumors that the two had children. However, the Kremlin has officially denied these claims.

According to the Guardian, the EU sanctions targets on this day include, besides Kabaeva, Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church who blessed the invasion of Ukraine, and immediate family members of Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson known as "Putin's mouth."

Also newly added to the sanctions list were Russian military officials accused of the Bucha civilian massacre and Major General Mikhail Mizintsev of the Russian Defense Management Center, who was responsible for the siege of Mariupol that caused thousands of casualties.

The EU is discussing sanctions such as asset freezes and travel bans against these individuals. The sanctions package also includes measures to gradually phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year.

However, since the approval of the sanctions requires unanimous agreement from the governments of all 27 EU member states, it is uncertain whether personal sanctions against Kabaeva will be implemented.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that sanctions against Kabaeva have been discussed in the international community. Previously, the U.S. government also attempted to impose sanctions on Kabaeva last month but postponed them at the last minute. Concerns were raised that such sanctions might be seen as a personal attack on President Putin, potentially worsening tensions between the two countries.