Roman Abramovich remains a mediator between the two warring countries, the news outlet claims
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has seen his role as mediator between Moscow and Kiev reduced to negotiating prisoner exchanges and facilitating the so-called ‘grain deal’, the Wall Street Journal claimed on Thursday.
The businessman, who previously chose to personally participate in the peace talks between the two countries, has had his participation significantly diminished since negotiations broke down in April, the outlet reported.
As noted by the WSJ, although Abramovich remains an acceptable intermediary for the Kremlin as well as Kiev and its allies, Ukrainian officials no longer expect him to play a key role as mediator in the dialogue.
“He can have a role if there’s a need to get involved in some issues,” said Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. “But it’s not the mediator role he had in the first rounds of the negotiation process.”
While outlets such as the Financial Times have claimed that Abramovich was personally “blessed” by Russian President Vladimir Putin to mediate the peace talks, the Kremlin has stated that the businessman is not an official Russian negotiator but is involved in ensuring contacts between Moscow and Kiev.
The WSJ also claims that some in the West are suspicious of Abramovich’s resolve to participate in the talks, with some suspecting it may be an attempt to escape sanctions and save what’s left of his nearly $15 billion fortune. Since the start of the Ukrainian conflict, Abramovich has reportedly lost some $5.6 billion.
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