Woman named as Putin’s girlfriend joins EU sanctions list, sources say

Alina Kabaeva, a woman who was once romantically linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is included in the proposed sixth package of European Union sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, according to two European diplomatic sources interviewed by the European Union. CNN .

At this stage, names can be dropped or added at the discretion of the member state, an EU Commission source told CNN .

The EU has not officially signed off on the proposal, but it may do so this Friday at an ambassadors meeting – currently underway at EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

“Discussions are happening. It’s not easy, but we have to wait and see,” one of the diplomatic sources told CNN on Friday morning, local time.

Kabaeva, born in 1983, was first linked to Putin more than a decade ago when she was a medal-winning gymnast. Putin has denied a relationship with her.

In April, the Wall Street Journal reported that US officials were debating whether or not to impose sanctions on Kabaeva over concerns that the move could further escalate tensions because it could be an extreme personal blow to Putin.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, is also among the individuals who are included in the proposed sixth round of EU sanctions, according to two sources who have seen the full documents.

The EU has been stepping up its economic action against Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. More recently, the bloc proposed banning Russian oil imports, something that would have a big impact on Russia’s economy, although Hungary, an EU member state with close ties to Putin, is likely to thwart such plans.