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Abramovich met with Ukrainian negotiators to discuss ways to resume talks, according to people familiar with the matter
Author of the article:
Bloomberg news
Darina Krasnolutska and Stephanie Baker
Publication date:
April 16, 2022 • 18 hours ago • 2 minutes reading • 40 comments Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich arrives at the Supreme Court in central London in October 2011. Photo: Andrew Winning / Reuters
Content of the article
Billionaire Roman Abramovich is traveling to Kyiv in a bid to resume peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which stalled after evidence of Russian atrocities against civilians emerged.
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Abramovich met with Ukrainian negotiators to discuss ways to revive the talks, according to people familiar with the matter. The Russian billionaire, who has long ties to President Vladimir Putin, has acted as an informal mediator since the start of the war in late February, when Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky asked him to join.
A spokesman for Abramovich declined to comment, as did Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podoliak.
After the last round of face-to-face meetings in Istanbul on March 29th – attended by Abramovich – there are few signs of progress. On Tuesday, Putin said they were at a dead end and promised to continue the invasion. Zelensky said the discovery in recent weeks of evidence of war crimes by Russian troops stationed in Bucha and other cities near Kyiv has complicated the prospects for the talks. Moscow denies that its forces committed atrocities.
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Following the Istanbul meeting, Russia moved troops from northern Ukraine to the Donbass region to the east, preparing what is expected to be a major new ground attack in the coming days or weeks to occupy more territory.
Russian troops have stepped up shelling of Ukrainian cities in recent days following the sinking of the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship, the Moscow cruiser. Ukraine said its missiles hit the ship, while Russia said only that it caught fire, without explaining how. Regions, including Kyiv and Lviv in the far west of Ukraine, came under fire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiations with Russia were at a dead end “because we will not trade with our territory and our people.” If Russian forces carry out the threat to destroy the remaining Ukrainian troops fighting in Mariupol, it will “end” talks, he said in an interview with Ukrainian online media.
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Ukraine has not yet received an official response from the Kremlin on proposals it made to Russia during talks in Istanbul, while Moscow has repeatedly accused Kyiv of delays. Lower-level talks continued via video link with scant signs of progress.
Zelenski called on Western countries to provide more weapons and increase sanctions against Russia to strengthen their hand in the talks.
“I always tell all our partners with whom I discuss this issue that the amount of support for Ukraine directly affects the restoration of peace,” Zelensky told the nation on Friday. Russia has warned the United States and its allies not to send more weapons, but to no avail.
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