Louise Bernard, with Alexis Patri
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5:38 p.m., May 05, 2022
“Paris Match” publishes a new issue on Thursday, the front page of which highlights an investigation into Alina Kabaeva. This gymnastics champion, who maintains a relationship with Vladimir Putin, is at the heart of geopolitical news. Caroline Fontaine, who signs this survey, explains at the microphone of Europe 1 why.
She is a “hidden woman” Paris Match headlines: Alina Kabaeva, who would be the companion of Vladimir Putin. This gymnastics champion, nicknamed “the most flexible woman in Russia” has had an affair with the Russian dictator since 2006. They even have several children together. Uncertain elements on which Paris Match attempts to lift the veil. The magazine relied in particular on the work of Russian investigative journalists, all of whom are exiles. Because the subject is far from being a simple “people” subject: to investigate this woman is to investigate the Putin system. Paris Match also speaks of Alina Kabaeva as a “key piece of the chessboard” of the Russian president.
This woman suddenly became very wealthy, as did her family. She also became an MP for Vladimir Putin’s party, before heading the board of directors of Russia’s largest media group, propaganda media, for a modest salary of around $10 million. It is therefore surprising to discover that, in this context of international sanctions, Alina Kabaeva escapes them. However, it indirectly plays a role in this war in Ukraine.
Alina Kabaeva, “essential link in Vladimir Putin’s chain of power”
“Putin’s ex-wife is on the list of international sanctions, Putin’s daughters are there. She is not there”, notes Caroline Fontaine, author of the article of Paris Match. “According to the wall street journal, who cites official US sources, she is not there because they were afraid that Putin would take it too personally. So to avoid an escalation between Russia and the United States, the Americans chose not to put Alina Kabaeva on the list.”
“However, when we do this investigation, we realize that she is not only very close to Vladimir Putin, but that she is also an essential link in his chain of power, since she is at the head of the Board of Directors of the largest Russian propaganda group,” adds the journalist. “As such, she participates in everything that is happening in Ukraine.” This number of Paris Match is on newsstands Thursday.