Putin's alleged girlfriend Alina Kabaeva could face sanctions 0:55
(CNN) --
Alina Kabaeva, a woman who has been romantically linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is included in the European Union's sixth proposed list of sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, according to two European diplomatic sources. .
At this point, names can be added or removed from the list at the discretion of member states and it is expected to be a point of negotiation when any new sanctions package is proposed, a European Commission source told CNN.
The European Commission has not formally accepted the proposal.
"The talks are taking place, it's not easy, but we have to give it time," one of the diplomatic sources told CNN on Friday morning.
CNN reached out to the National Media Group, led by Kabaeva, for comment on the proposed sanctions.
Russian Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics Alina Kabaeva watches a hockey match between Russia and Slovakia on February 16, 2014, during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Kabaeva, born in 1983, was first linked to Putin more than a decade ago, when she was an Olympic gymnastics medalist.
Putin, who is divorced from her, has denied any relationship with her.
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The Wall Street Journal reported in April that US officials were debating whether to impose sanctions on Kabaeva, believing such a decision could escalate tensions as an extremely personal blow to Putin.
Who is Alina Kabaeva, Putin's alleged girlfriend?
2:26
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Cyril, is also among the people included in the sixth round of sanctions proposed by the European Union, according to two sources who have seen the full documents.
The proposed sanctions are out of "common sense", Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida said on Wednesday, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.
"The more indiscriminate (the) sanctions become, the more they lose touch with common sense and the more difficult it is to achieve peace, which is what the Russian Orthodox Church prays at every service with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch," he said. Legoida in a Telegram post.
"Only those who are completely ignorant of the history of our Church can try to intimidate their clergy and believers by drawing up lists," Legoida said.
A Christian leader "in an unholy alliance": who is Cyril, the Russian Orthodox patriarch who supports Putin's war
The European Union has intensified its economic measures against Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The bloc recently proposed a ban on Russian oil imports, something that would have a huge impact on the country's economy, although Hungary, an EU member state with close ties to Putin, is likely to end any such plans. .
Who is Alina Kabaeva?
Kabaeva and Putin reportedly met when she was a young gymnast who won multiple medals in her country, at European competitions and at the Olympics.
She was awarded the rhythmic gymnastics gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games.
Kabaeva applauds as then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (not pictured) addresses the United Russia Party on November 27, 2011 in Moscow.
Widely known in her home country, she was chosen as one of the torchbearers when Russia hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014, an event that took place shortly before Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.
Kabaeva has made public statements in support of the Russian military since the start of the war in Ukraine, recently calling on Russian citizens to support the war effort.
At a recent gymnastics event, she said, "Every family has a war story, and we shouldn't forget it. We should pass it down from generation to generation."
According to The Wall Street Journal, US officials say that she and her family have become rich thanks to their closeness to Putin, although the Kremlin continues to deny any relationship between the two.
The US Treasury Department has declined to comment on the case.
Regardless of her actual relationship to Russia's president, if her name appears on the European Union's final sanctions list, Kabaeva, who remains relatively unknown outside of Russia, and her finances will be the subject of enormous international scrutiny.
Sanctions on Russia
