BRUSSELS (AFP) - The EU has proposed sanctioning former Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva for her role in Kremlin propaganda and close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a document seen on Thursday (May 5) by AFP.
Kabaeva is a late addition to the list of individuals targeted in a sixth package of measures against Russia in response to the war in Ukraine.
The sanctions, which include a ban on Russian oil imports, were submitted on Wednesday by the EU executive to member states for approval, which requires unanimity among the 27 countries.
Hungary, Slovakia and other eastern European countries are so far refusing the package, holding out for an opt out or delay to the oil ban.
If passed, Kabaeva would be hit by a ban on entry into the EU and an asset freeze.
The proposal identifies Kabaeva as the chairwoman of the board of directors of the National Media Group, a holding company that holds significant shares in almost all major Russian state media.
The former gymnast and former Duma lawmaker is "closely associated with President Vladimir Putin," the document adds.
Media reports claim that she and the Russian president are romantically involved, which Putin denied when the story was first reported in 2008.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, Kabaeva and her family have gained personal fortune thanks to her connection to Putin's inner circle.
The report cites classified US intelligence that names Kabaeva as a beneficiary of Putin's wealth.
Three other people, columnists at the state agency Ria Novosti, are also on the list for their role in disseminating "government propaganda" over the war in Ukraine.
The four names are in addition to 58 people - including the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, numerous military personnel suspected of war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and family members of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, European sanctions have already affected 1,091 people and 80 entities.
