Donald Trump Jr. Hunts in Mongolia With Russian Oligarch
Donald Trump Jr. traveled to Mongolia for a hunting trip with Kremlin-linked businessman Umar Kremlev and met with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh.
During August, Donald Trump Jr. spent two days at a remote hunting camp in western Mongolia with Umar Kremlev, a Russian businessman and president of the International Boxing Association. The trip, which included a U.S. Secret Service detail, involved hunting wild game, during which Trump Jr. killed an endangered Altai argali sheep. A charity auction raised up to $140,000 to partially fund the excursion.
The trip follows reports that Kremlev, who is under Ukrainian sanctions and maintains close ties to Vladimir Putin, provided hundreds of thousands of dollars toward Trump Jr.'s wedding in May. President Donald Trump stated that his son later repaid those expenses. A spokesperson for Trump Jr. described the relationship with Kremlev as a personal friendship based on shared outdoor interests rather than a business arrangement.
Following the hunt, Trump Jr. attended a dinner with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh. A Mongolian government spokesperson initially claimed the two discussed business and U.S.-Mongolia relations, but the post was later removed. Representatives for both men subsequently stated the meeting was informal and non-political. Former U.S. counterintelligence officials have warned that contacts between presidential relatives and Kremlin-linked individuals create significant security risks.
