The 55-year old billionaire has traded the skybox seat at Chelsea, his beloved British soccer club, for a place on the sidelines at negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv aimed at ending Russia’s bloody war with Ukraine.
As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdan entered a hall filled with negotiators at a government building near the 19th-century Ottoman palace, Dolmabahce in Istanbul, the silver-haired oil and-aluminum tycoon was seen in the background.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, was left to explain Abramovich’s role.
Peskov stated that Abramovich had been “ensuring certain contact between the Russian-Ukrainian sides”, but is not an official member. Both sides had approved of his role, he said.
Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s ambassador in Britain, stated that he had no idea what Mr. Abramovich was claiming or doing. He is not part of the negotiation group.
Talks appeared to be a prudent step towards scaling back Moscow’s offensive, when Alexander Fomin, Deputy Defense Minister, stated that Russia would “fundamentally cut down operations close to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and in a northern city as a way to build trust.
Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkish Foreign Minister, stated that the two sides have made the “most meaningful progress” since their meeting in Istanbul.
Abramovich’s appearance in Istanbul marks a significant turnaround. He has been sanctioned both by the U.K government and the European Union. However, he is not on a list of American oligarchs.
Abramovich seems to have made contacts in high places within the Ukrainian government to complement his long-standing connections to the Kremlin.
Sunday’s statement by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv received “signals” from Abramovich and other leaders, offering help as well as requests to be exempted from sanctions.
He said that some of them were willing to help Ukraine recover from the war, and then cited their offers: “We are open to giving money, and we are available to relocate our business to Ukraine. We currently live in England and Switzerland. We would love to move there. Is it possible to not be on the sanctions?
Abramovich’s appearance in Istanbul was even more remarkable considering that it occurred a day after reports suggesting that he might have been poisoned during an earlier round.
Bellingcat, an investigative news outlet, reported Monday that Abramovich was among those who succumbed to nerve agent poisoning. They were both present at the talks in Kiev on March 3. All were reportedly later cured.
Tuesday’s statement by the British Foreign Office stated that the “allusions are very concerning.” However, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has not commented.
Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, also expressed concern to 1+1 TV. He said: “I recommend anyone going to negotiations with Russia Federation not to eat and drink anything and preferably avoid touching any surface.”
Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary-of-State, stated that he did not have any details about the poisoning reports but that it “raises concerns due to Russia’s real track record” referring to past poisoning cases that were blamed on Moscow.
Peskov dismissed these reports as part of an information war. These reports are clearly not based on reality.
The representative of Abramovich’s media did not comment on the poisoning reports or his participation in Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
After the 1991 disintegration of the Soviet Union, Abramovich built a fortune in Russia’s aluminum and oil industries. Gazprom, the Russian state-owned energy company, paid $13 billion in 2005 for Sibneft, which was controlled by Abramovich. This allowed Putin’s Kremlin a chance to regain state control over the lucrative energy sector.
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, called Abramovich a “proKremlin-oligarch” who has an estimated wealth of over 9 billion pounds ($12billion) and should be punished for his association to Putin. Abramovich was also linked to “destabilizing” the country and threatening Ukraine.
Abramovich’s $2 billion investment in Chelsea, which over 19 years turned the English Premier League into a major force in European football, was another fall from grace. It earned the nicknames “Chelski”, and “Roman Empire.”
After his assets were frozen in a crackdown against oligarchs after Russia’s February 24 invasion, he is being forced to sell the club. He was also barred from being a director and running the west London club by the Premier League. Abramovich stated that the proceeds from the sale of the club, subject to approval by the government, will be donated to the foundation he established for victims of war in Ukraine.
Since 2018, he has been absent from Britain. He withdrew his application to renew his visa in protest at a crackdown on wealthy Russians. This was after a former Russian spy, and his daughter, were poisoned in Salisbury. Britain claimed that Russia was responsible for the exposure of the couple to nerve agents, which Moscow refuted.
Although he was granted Israeli citizenship in 2018, it is unclear how often he stays in Israel. According to reports, he has been seen in Israel multiple times since the outbreak of war. He was last seen at Ben-Gurion airport around two weeks ago.
Turkish media reported that the Solaris, a yacht owned by Abramovich was seen docked at Bodrum’s Aegean sea resort earlier this month. NATO-member Turkey is not a party to any sanctions against Russia. Other Turkish media reported that a second yacht belonging to him, called the Eclipse, was seen docked in a port in Marmaris.
