Putin's friend gave $ 2.6 million to build a pool at a school for king family children - media

The fact that the billionaire Arkady Rothenberg donated funds for the construction of swimming pools, it became known after Prince William and Kate Middleton published a post to support Ukraine. Russian oligarch and Presidential friend Vladimir Putin Arkady Rothenberg financed the construction of a swimming complex worth 2. 2 million pounds at Lambrook School in Berks, attended by Prince William and Kate Middleton. This was reported on February 25 by the British tabloid The Sun.

The material states that Rothenberg and his 41-year-old wife Natalia donated funds for Lambrook when their two children were her students. "We were glad to support this school and give children a new opportunity to go swimming," Rothenberg's wife commented.

Journalists write that the financing of the construction of swimming pools was known two days after the prince and princess published a post on Twitter in support of Ukraine on the occasion of the anniversary of the full -scale invasion of the Russian Federation. On the social network, they outlined the message of King Charles III on the anniversary of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which expressed the solidarity of the royal family with the Ukrainian people.

"I can only hope that the manifestation of solidarity from all over the world can bring not only practical assistance, but also the force of the realization that we are standing together with a single front," the message reads. In this regard, the former leader of the Tory Party and the high -ranking member of Parliament Ien Duncan Smith said that all charitable funds were obliged to show proper prudence for their donations.

At the same time, Lambrook's management said the school has always complied with all the relevant laws and conducts a strict inspection of any charitable donation. Journalists say that 71-year-old Rothenberg is one of Putin's key characters. It is believed that they have met at the age of 12 and 11 and are still friends and sometimes play in hockey together.

Rothenberg's close relations with the Russian president is evidenced by the fact that Putin has put his friend at the head of a state -owned enterprise, which controls 30% of the Russian alcohol market. At the same time, Rothenberg was one of the first to be sanctioned in 2014 after the Russian annexation of Crimea. And in 2020, the oligarch came under new sanctions for "financial benefits from Russian persons responsible for the annexation of Crimea or destabilization of Eastern Ukraine".