Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich made a discreet visit to Kiev to facilitate a channel of communication between the leadership of Ukraine and Russia, in the midst of conflict triggered by the Russian invasion.
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich/PHOTO: Archive
In an interview with the British channel Sky News, the leader from Kiev stated that Abramovich arrived in the Ukrainian capital with a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin and offered to convey to the Kremlin the position of the Ukrainian authorities.
According to Zelenski, his answer was firm and never changed during the war.
“My message was clear: Ukraine will not give up Donbas”the Ukrainian president said.
The leader from Kiev also spoke about the current prospects for a possible resolution of the conflict. Freezing the front line could be the fastest way to a ceasefire, he said, but warned that any deal must offer strong safeguards to prevent future war.
Zelenskiy emphasized that diplomacy must come into play immediately after the cessation of hostilities, so that the peace is not only temporary.
The Ukrainian president also commented on the reactions of Russian officials to his calls for direct dialogue with Vladimir Putin. He responded ironically to accusations of “insolence” made by Moscow, saying that Kremlin representatives had not seen the initial version of the document sent by the Ukrainian side.
Roman Abramovich played an important role in maintaining informal channels of communication between Kiev and Moscow during the first months of the war. According to the information published in the Western media, the Russian businessman was accepted by both sides as an intermediary in unofficial contacts that concerned both political negotiations and the organization of humanitarian corridors.
According to the sources cited by the international press, Abramovic would have returned to Kiev in May as well, in an attempt to relaunch the dialogue between the two camps, having a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenski.
The statements of the Ukrainian president appear in the context in which he recently proposed a direct meeting with Vladimir Putin in a neutral country, under international security guarantees, to discuss ways to end the war.
The Kremlin leader, however, rejected the idea of such a meeting, claiming that he does not see the usefulness of a meeting under the current conditions and accusing Zelensky of trying to sabotage the negotiation process.
Although diplomatic contacts between the two sides continue through official and unofficial channels, the prospects for an agreement to end the conflict remain uncertain for now.
