Roman Abramovich participates in the new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul

Russian magnate Roman Abramovich participates in Istanbul in negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine to try to reach a ceasefire in the Russian military campaign in the neighboring country, Russian media reported today.

The Russian television station Rossiya 24 showed images showing Abramovich arriving at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, where the negotiations were held, together with the Russian delegation.

The day before, the Wall Street Journal and other media reported that Abramovich and two Ukrainian envoys suffered a clinical picture linked to possible poisoning. According to that newspaper, the symptoms appeared in the three cases were red eyes, constant and annoying tearing and peeling on the skin of the hands and face. Their lives were not in danger and all of them evolved positively.

Abramovich participated in informal peace negotiations in Kiev in early March on his own behalf. During his stay in the Ukrainian capital he began to feel unwell and “lost his vision for several hours”.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba advised his country's delegation participating in negotiations with Russia in Turkey “not to eat or touch anything”, given suspicions that arose in previous meetings. The members of the delegation present in Istanbul “should not eat anything and it is best that they avoid touching any surface,” says the minister, speaking to the Ukraine24 portal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said last Thursday that Abramovich, close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, participated in organizing the negotiations “in the initial phase.”

The Wall Street Journal then noted that Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky asked his American counterpart, Joe Biden, not to rush to sanction the Russian oligarch because he could serve as a mediator.

Zelensky avoided confirming or denying the publication of the American media in an interview given last Sunday to independent Russian media.

“For various reasons I cannot talk about some of our private conversations (with Biden),” the president stressed. “I know that this businessman was in the subgroup for the Russian side. I know that he was, officially or unofficially, kept in touch (...). And he really helped on a humanitarian issue involving the evacuation of people and a humanitarian convoy,” he said.

“Everyone tried hard in Mariupol, and he (Abramovich), too, I know, but it did not turn out. As I said, the humanitarian convoy was attacked,” he added.

(With information from EFE, AFP and Europa Press)

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