The US purposefully delayed penalizing Vladimir Putin’s alleged mistress until the eleventh hour out of concern that doing so would exacerbate relations with Russia.

Alina Kabaeva, 39, is a former Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics, a cover model for Russian Vogue, and Washington sources say she is 70-year-old Putin’s mistress.

She was targeted by the US Treasury Department following her rumored lover’s February invasion of Ukraine – but evaded penalties at the 11th hour after the National Security Council intervened, according to the Wall Street Journal.

However, Washington officials feared that penalizing Kabaeva would be a ‘personal’ strike on Putin, further escalating tensions between Russia and the west.

She is alleged to have had three children with the Russian leader and amassed a fortune as a result of her ties to him, making her a prime target for US sanctions following Putin’s February invasion of Ukraine.

The lack of sanctions is despite American officials’ belief that Kabaeva is involved in concealing Putin’s wealth abroad. According to government officials speaking to the Wall Street Journal, she is still a possible target of penalties.

‘We have prepared sanctions on a number of people who haven’t yet been sanctioned, and we continue to think about when to impose those sanctions for maximum impact,’ an official said.

Moscow has consistently denied the existence of any link between Putin and Kabaeva, as has she.

Putin is depicted in Russia’s state media as a priest who devotes his life to public service. He is reported to have two daughters from a previous marriage, ages 36 and 35.

Kabaeva made an appearance Saturday in Moscow at a rhythmic gymnastics performance, expressing her support for the war effort.

America has charged Kabaeva and her family of enriching themselves through their ties to Putin, and a US intelligence probe into the 2016 election named her as a beneficiary of Putin’s money.

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