The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was present during peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey because he is working to “enable certain contacts” between the two sides.
“Roman Abramovich is involved in enabling certain contacts between the Russian and Ukrainian sides,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “He is not an official member of the delegation… but nevertheless he is also present today in Istanbul from our side.”
Peskov said that Abramovich’s presence was also approved by the Ukrainian side. The Russian billionaire and owner of Britain’s Chelsea Football Club has been sanctioned by the UK and the EU, but the US has held off, reportedly at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Abramovich was spotted at the peace talks after The Wall Street Journal reported that the Russian billionaire and two members of Ukraine’s delegation experienced symptoms of suspected poisoning after a meeting on March 3. But a US official and a Ukrainian official denied the report.
A US official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity that intelligence shows the sickening of Abramovich and the Ukrainians was due to environmental factors. “The intelligence highly suggests this was environmental,” the official said, adding: “E.g., not poisoning.”
Ihor Zhovkva, an official who works in Zelensky’s office, told BBC that members of the Ukrainian delegation were “fine” and that one said the report was “false.” Russia has also denied that the report was true. “This is part of information sabotage, part of an information war,” Peskov said.
The talks in Turkey that Abramovich attended on Tuesday appeared to make some progress. After the negotiations, Russia’s military said it was “drastically” reducing military operations near Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv, although fighting continues in the east. Ukraine presented a potential peace deal to the Russian side that Moscow will now review.
The Ukrainian proposal is a non-starter. After Putin, Shoigu and Lavrov stop laughing, they will tell Ukraine to pound sand (in diplomatic terms, of course) and the operation will continue. Thus, there is NO “progress” in those “negotiations” – which aren’t “negotiations” in any sense, as I’ve said repeatedly.
Very true. But getting vulnerable Abramovich into the mix — signals that Ukrainin oligarchs may be nervous and need assurances before getting into conflict with US supported Lvyv strongmen in Zelenski govenment. Money people just learned that they can be kicked out, their property taken, and from the countries they considered safe to park their wealth.
The additional concern is the quiet unveiling of a new yet unnamed currency that will serve as an umbrella for nationaal currencies that will remain in place. This is clearly Chuna-Russia initiative. It will be similar to initial Euro role, before it became a physical currency, tying the hands of weaker economies to use currency to adress fluctuations.
But the new one will have also a significant technological underpinnings.
Things are moving fast with currency swaps
(India-Russia). etc.
Wealth, once endangered has no loyalties,
We will see what shakes out.
The proposal is a non-starter. There will be a reply and then another round. Kiyv and Chernikov have not been targets, as all their infrastructure is intact. But if things proceed without agreement — one can assume that Russian forces may proceed south bypassing Kyiv and meet up with other now dormant forcess coming out of Kherson. As Ukranian forcess are focused on defending Odessa, they cannot afford to get extended and be cut off. So far, that has been Russan mainstay strategy. So far, but things can change.
It is hard to describe it — but there is a marked nervousness/ hyperactivity on Israel’s part.
Many moves in different directions testify to that. I do not feel this to be a positive for Israel. Meeting with Arab leaders in Negev feels like coming from the position of weakness, not strength. Attempts at getting a place in negotiations with Miscow failed, but it was Moscow’s influence that got Abramovich into safety to Turkey. And with his sway on oligarchs in Ukraine, he is in a position to get their influence be felt over the Lviv crowd in Government that does US bidding.
It seems to me that Israel is concened with Russia coming ahead in global politics and global finance — and is trying to curry favors,
One of the tests will be Israel’s riutine bombing of Syria.
Considering Israel’s diplomatic relations wit UAE, one would have not expected UAE’s position in this conflict to depart from US too far. But the oppisite is shaping up. UAE has signed a fighter plane co-production with Russia, has recently hosted Assad on a state visit, and has been very receptive to Chinese investments. Its trade with Iran remains high. As US was unable to convince any Moslem country in any cintinent to sanction Russia or to demonize Russia — Israel essentially followed the suit.
As Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt joined China-Russia SCO organization on the partner level, Israel saw the handwriting on the wall. Turkey is on the same level. Iran i, however, already at SCO full voting rights level.
Same level as Pakistan and India.
US and Europe can afford to be isolated. Can Israel?
Abramovich being added to the mix in not a result of Zelensky asking for him to be included- it was because as soon as sanctions were being handed out ISRAEL specifically requested the US NOT sanction him, and now he’s managed to ingratiate himself to the Ukraine. Otherwise, he’d be just another whipping boy for the Biden administration.
I call this good cop, bad cop.