Sensational and continuous are the revelations about the mediating role between Moscow and Kyiv that the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has undertaken far from the radar of NATO.
And while a dangerous escalation is observed with the responsibility of the West, it seems that the Russian side under absolute secrecy has opened channels of communication with the Ukrainian leadership, in order for there not to be Western sabotage, as had happened in March 2022 in the talks of Istanbul.
In an unusual move, the close associate of the Russian president and advisor on international affairs, Yuri Ushakov, revealed that the businessman who visited Kyiv and conveyed a message to the Russian leadership is a "very well-known person", without however revealing his identity.
"It is about a quite big businessman. Many people know him," Yuri Ushakov stated characteristically to the television network Russia 24, fueling new scenarios about the informal lines of communication that still operate between the two warring sides.
However, Ushakov avoided naming him.
Yuri Ushakov
The revelation of Putin that caused a sensation
The issue had been opened by Vladimir Putin himself during his speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum SPIEF.
The Russian president revealed that a few weeks ago he was approached by a Russian businessman, who had visited Kyiv and conveyed a proposal for a personal meeting with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
This reference caused immediately intense interest both in Russia and in the West, as it constitutes one of the very few public admissions that informal channels of communication still exist between the two sides despite the tough military confrontation.
The fact that the message was conveyed through a business figure and not through official diplomatic channels reinforces the assessments that behind the public statements behind the scenes processes continue for the future of the conflict.
The Kremlin admits open and secret contacts
An even greater sensation was caused by the admission of Yuri Ushakov that Russia maintains both open and closed lines of communication with the Ukrainian side.
According to him, the open contacts take place through the negotiations that have taken place from time to time, while at the same time there are also other forms of communication that are not made public.
This statement is considered particularly important as it confirms that, despite the public picture of absolute rift, mechanisms of contact between Moscow and Kyiv still operate.
Political analysts in Russia estimate that these secret contacts constitute a necessary tool of management of a conflict that has now converted into one of the most dangerous geopolitical confrontations after the end of the Cold War.
In Russia they do not forget 2022, when the two sides came very close to an agreement that would stop the bloodshed, which the then prime minister of Britain, Boris Johnson, sabotaged.
It is reminded that also then the Russian businessman had undertaken a role of mediator, who emerges as an informal top diplomat.
Why the Kremlin keeps the name secret
The fact that the Russian leadership chose not to reveal the name of the businessman has caused a wave of speculation.
Abramovich is a person with significant financial connections both in Russia and in Ukraine, who can function as a neutral mediator.
The Kremlin clearly does not reveal his identity for reasons of security, given the climate prevailing today between the two countries and the absolute tethering of the Ukrainian leadership team to the chariot of NATO.
In any case, the choice of the Kremlin to leave the mystery open reinforces the interest around the background of the contacts.
Putin: Zelensky makes direct talks difficult
During the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum SPIEF, Vladimir Putin left at the same time insinuations against Volodymyr Zelensky, arguing that the moves and the decisions of the Ukrainian president create conditions that render extremely difficult the realization of direct meetings between the two leaders.
This positioning was interpreted as a message that Moscow considers that the political leadership of Kyiv remains trapped in a strategy of continuation of the conflict, despite the from time to time references to potential negotiations.
At the same time, the Russian president repeated the slogan "Work, brothers", addressing the Russian armed forces, wanting to show that Russia does not intend to alter its strategy under the pressure of the developments on the front.
The big question
The revelation that a powerful and known businessman functioned as an informal messenger between Kyiv and Moscow highlights a less visible side of the war.
Behind the military operations, the sanctions, and the tough public statements, channels of communication still exist that allow the two sides to exchange messages and to maintain contact.
The question now is to what extent these behind the scenes contacts can at some point convert into a real political process that will lead to an escalation of the largest conflict that Europe has known in recent decades.
Who revealed that the mysterious businessman is Roman Abramovich
The one who revealed that Abramovich is the person who met with Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and conveyed a message to Vladimir Putin is the Ukrainian parliament member Alexei Goncharenko.
As Goncharenko mentioned in his post, Abramovich traveled to the Ukrainian capital for a meeting with the Ukrainian president and then personally conveyed information and messages to the Russian leadership.
The revelation came a few days after the statements of Vladimir Putin, who had referred to a meeting of a Russian businessman with Zelensky in Kyiv.
Alexei Goncharenko
The man of secret channels
Abramovich is not just any random businessman.
The Russian billionaire has for years maintained access to top centers of power both in Russia and in the West.
Since the beginning of the war he had appeared several times as an unofficial mediator in consultations between Moscow and Kyiv.
For many analysts, the fact that a businessman of international stature was used and not official diplomatic representatives shows the level of sensitivity of the contacts and the desire to remain far from the spotlight.
Why is Zelensky asking for a meeting?
The most interesting element of the revelations concerns the content of the message that was conveyed to Moscow.
According to Putin, Zelensky asked for a personal meeting with the Russian president.
This move is interpreted by several observers as an indication that Kyiv is looking for new ways of communication in a period during which the war has entered a prolonged phase of attrition and the Ukrainian leadership is in a dire position, amid horrific losses on a human level and absolute economic and social catastrophe of the country.
The letter that opened a new cycle of discussions
The background is directly connected to the open letter published by Zelensky on June 4.
In his multi-page text, the Ukrainian president exercised intense criticism on Putin, but at the same time proposed a personal meeting on neutral ground, such as Switzerland, Turkey, or some country of the Middle East.
Zelensky argued that a direct summit meeting could create the conditions for a political settlement of the conflict.
However, the tone of the letter caused intense reactions in Moscow.
The advisor to the Russian president Yuri Ushakov characterized the text "full of rudeness", arguing that it contained pages of aggressive rhetoric before concluding with the proposal for a meeting.
The answer of Putin
Vladimir Putin answered publicly during SPIEF, making it clear that he does not reject a meeting in principle, but considers that it makes no sense to take place without substantial agreements having previously been achieved by the negotiating teams of the two sides.
"I do not see for the time being the reason for such a meeting," he stated characteristically, adding that a summit meeting would have value only if there was already a draft peace agreement towards signature.
At the same time, the Russian president revealed that he had been informed by the businessman who returned from Kyiv about the request of Zelensky.
According to Putin, the message conveyed to him was clear: the Ukrainian president desired personal contact with the Russian leader.
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