Roman Abramovich traveled to Kiev in an attempt to restart peace talks between Russia and Ukraine

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich traveled to Kiev in an attempt to restart peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which stalled after evidence of Russian atrocities against civilians in Bucha emerged.

Abramovich met with Ukrainian negotiators to discuss ways to revive the negotiations, people with knowledge of the subject told Bloomberg.

The Russian billionaire, who has long ties to President Vladimir Putin, has been acting as an informal mediator since the war began in late February, when Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky asked him to get involved.

In an interview with Ukrainian online media, Zelensky said that the talks are at a “dead end because we will not exchange our territory and our people.” He said that if Russian forces fulfill the threat of destroying the remaining Ukrainian troops fighting in Mariupol, that could “end” the talks.

In Russia, Abramovich “represents the side that supports a diplomatic resolution and the end of the war,” he said, although “no one can guarantee that it is not a game.”

Bloomberg said a spokesman for Abramovich said he is not in Kiev and refused to comment further. Ukrainian chief negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak refused to comment, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After the last round of face-to-face meetings in Istanbul on 29 March, attended by Abramovich, there has been little sign of progress, while Russian troops increased shelling of Ukrainian cities in recent days following the sinking of its Black Sea Fleet's flagship Moskva .

Regarding a possible cession of territories in the east, Zelensky said in an interview with CNN that he cannot trust Moscow, as there would be no guarantee that Russia will not attempt to take Kiev again after occupying the east of the country. “That is why it is very important that we do not allow it, that we stand firm, because this battle... can influence the course of the whole war,” he added, referring to the struggle in the Donbas.

In that regard, he reiterated the importance of having the invading troops withdrawn as much as possible. “We understand that the fact that we have fought them and left, and that they are fleeing Kiev - from the north, from Chernihiv and from that direction - does not mean that if they are able to capture Donbas, they will not come any closer to Kiev.”

For his part, Putin said that the negotiations are at a “dead end” and promised to continue their invasion.

Last week Zelensky again called for a face-to-face meeting with his Russian counterpart: “Only he can decide when this war will end,” he said.

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