Vladimir Putin's Alleged Lover Alina Kabaeva May Face EU Sanctions

Alina Kabaeva, who is rumored to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s lover, is reportedly included in the sixth proposed package of European Union (EU) sanctions against Russia over its attack on Ukraine.

An EU Commission source told CNN names can be removed or added at member states' discretion. It is reportedly expected to be a point of negotiation when any new sanctions package is proposed. The addition of her name to the sanctions list needs to be approved by the EU’s 27 member states.

A source said on Friday morning that discussions are going on, and that it's not a "piece of cake, but we have to wait and see."

The Guardian reported that apart from proposing sanctions on Kabaeva, who is a former Olympic gymnast, the EU plans to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox church, as well. Kirill had earlier given his blessing to the war in Ukraine.

He and Kabaeva are two of dozens of people who would face an asset freeze and an EU travel ban under new listings being discussed by member states. They will be joining more than 1,000 powerful Russians already on the sanctions list.

Kabaeva has been described as “closely associated with President Vladimir Putin" in a draft document. In the 2004 Olympics, she won gold for rhythmic gymnastics. At the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014, she was a flag-bearer. She represented Putin’s United Russia party while she was a Member of Parliament for six years. She also ran a major pro-Kremlin media group.

Last month it was reported that the US administration had not sanctioned Kabaeva because of concerns Putin would see it as a personal attack. But the White House denied the report, and said that no one was safe from sanctions. Putin’s adult children, Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova, have already been sanctioned by the US and EU.

The immediate family of Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, who was sanctioned in a previous round, are also being targeted by EU officials. Marina Mordashova, the wife of Russia’s richest man, Alexei Mordashov, is also expected to be added to the list. The reason is that she is said to benefit from her husband’s assets.