Donald Trump Jr. Repaid Putin-Linked Oligarch Who Paid for Multi-Day Wedding Bash, He Says He 'Does Not Understand Why'

Donald Trump Jr. repaid Russian boxing official Umar Kremlev for expenses tied to his wedding celebration, though Kremlev said he was puzzled by the decision.

"Yes, he did," Kremlev said.

"He did repay the money I spent on the present," he continued.

"Frankly speaking, I do not understand why he decided to do so," he added.

Kremlev, who leads the International Boxing Association, discussed the repayment at a Tuesday, October 6, press conference in Istanbul, according to The Associated Press.

Kremlev said he saw the spending as a gesture between friends rather than something that required repayment.

"There are all kinds of events organized by all kinds of people. It is as if I invite you to come and visit my country house. Would you expect me to issue an invoice to them afterward?" he said through an interpreter.

He called the idea "ridiculous."

The comments came after reports examined Kremlev’s role in Trump Jr. and socialite Bettina Anderson's wedding celebrations in the Bahamas.

Per Pro Publica, a report in May covered the celebrations of Trump Jr.'s wedding, which continued for three days across two private islands.

However, Kremlev reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and covered the rental of one of the islands.

Anderson later addressed the report in an Instagram post filled with their celebration pictures from that day, describing Kremlev as a "dear friend" and explaining his role in the celebrations.

Anderson expressed how Kremlev "very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding."

She wrote in the caption, "Don and I got married privately on Friday, surrounded ONLY by our family. It was intimate, deeply personal and one of the most beautiful days of our lives."

"It’s unfortunate that something so personal and happy can be recast as something political or sinister simply because of who someone is or where they come from," she added.

"Friendship doesn’t require a political motive. Generosity doesn’t automatically come with an agenda. And sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift," she continued.

"We are fortunate to have wonderful friends from all over the world, and we will never be embarrassed or apologetic about being grateful for them," Anderson concluded.

Kremlev also pushed back against questions surrounding his friendship with the Trump family.

"I mean, why can’t we be friends? We are just friends," he said.

"We are simply friends and what unites us is love for sports," he added.

Kremlev was recently awarded Russian President Vladimir Putin's Order of Friendship, according to the outlet.

The U.S. President, who did not attend the wedding, also defended his son and said he understood that Trump Jr. repaid Kremlev.

"It’s totally allowed," he said.

"But, as I understand it, he paid them back," he added.