Sergei Lavrov’s beloved, the head of Putin’s diplomacy, as well as his daughter, obtained passports from the United Arab Emirates immediately after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The information was published by the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and is cited by The Moscow Times.
Svetlana Poliakova, whom FBK claims to be Lavrov’s mistress, despite the minister being officially married to another woman, Maria Lavrova, received UAE citizenship “for merits to the state” on December 28, 2022. Her daughter, Polina Kovaleva, Lavrov’s stepdaughter, became a citizen of the Emirates a short time before, based on the fact that she was employed there.
As previously reported by the publication “Vajnie istorii”, Poliakova has been in a romantic relationship with Lavrov for many years and is said to have considerable influence within the Russian foreign ministry. She has been involved in affairs related to the ministry, and her relatives have come to hold several key positions within it. Poliakova owns real estate properties worth over 700 million rubles.
Kovaleva studied at Imperial College Business School in London and held several British companies. FBK identified in her case luxury properties in the United Kingdom worth approximately 4.4 million pounds sterling. After the outbreak of the 2022 invasion and the introduction of sanctions, she would have left the United Kingdom and would have been employed at Qatar Investment, in Doha, according to FBK.
Obtaining citizenship of the United Arab Emirates is extremely difficult. The usual naturalization procedure for foreigners involves 30 years of uninterrupted residence in the country, knowledge of the Arabic language, and an impeccable reputation.
Since 2021, there is also the possibility of granting citizenship for “outstanding merits”, in the case of investors, scientists, doctors, inventors, artists, and a few other categories. However, a person cannot apply alone: the candidacy must be proposed by federal authorities or by the courts of the emirate leaders.