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Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich takes off his jacket. Photo/REUTERS
MOSCOW – Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich sees his role as mediator between Moscow and Kiev reduced to negotiating a prisoner exchange and facilitating the “grain deal”.
The news was revealed by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Thursday.
The businessman previously chose to personally participate in peace talks between the two countries.
“His participation has reduced significantly since negotiations broke down in April,” the WSJ report said.
As the WSJ noted, although Abramovich remains an acceptable intermediary for the Kremlin as well as for Kiev and its allies, Ukrainian officials no longer expect him to play a key role as mediator in the dialogue.
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“He can play a role if there is a need to get involved in some issues,” said Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“But that is not the mediator role that he had in the first round of the negotiation process,” he said.
While outlets such as the Financial Times claim Abramovich was personally “blessed” by Russian President Vladimir Putin to broker peace talks, the Kremlin maintains the businessman is not an official Russian negotiator but is involved in ensuring contact between Moscow and Kiev.
The WSJ also claims some in the West are suspicious of Abramovich’s determination to participate in the talks, with some suggesting it may be an attempt to evade sanctions and save what’s left of his nearly $15 billion fortune. Since the start of the Ukrainian conflict, Abramovich has reportedly lost around $5.6 billion.
