Time Magazine: Despite being on EU sanctions list, Putin's aide visited Greece
Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov visited Mount Athos in Greece despite being on the EU sanctions list, Time magazine reported, referencing several different sources.
In May, Surkov reportedly accompanied Russian President Vladimir Putin and several prominent Russian politicians and priests to Mount Athos, a place of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians.
When asked to comment on the allegations, the Kremlin responded that the information “does not correspond to reality.”
Surkov was involved in the organization of Russia’s annexation of the Crimea in 2014, and was consequently denied entry into the US and the EU.
It is not clear how, exactly, Surkov was able to circumvent the ban to gain access to Greece, a member of the European Union.