New shocking facts come to light regarding the behind the scenes contacts between Kyiv and Moscow, as according to the Ukrainian parliament member, Alexei Goncharenko, the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is the person who met with Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and conveyed a message to Vladimir Putin.
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 comes a few days after the statements of Vladimir Putin, who had referred to a meeting of a Russian businessman with Zelensky in Kyiv.
The Russian president revealed that through this specific businessman he received a message from the Ukrainian leader, who reportedly asked for a personal meeting with Putin.
Putin on the... Russian businessman and Zelensky
"The businessman returned from Kyiv and I met with him. The most important message was that Mr Zelensky asked for a meeting," Putin stated characteristically.
The reference to the name of Roman Abramovich acquires particular significance, as the Russian billionaire has in the past played a role of mediator in contacts between Russia and Ukraine, maintaining channels of communication with both sides.
The revelations rekindle the scenarios about secret contacts and behind the scenes consultations between Kyiv and Moscow - far from the influence of NATO and the West, in a period where the public positions of both sides remain particularly tough, while military operations continue unabated.
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.
His alleged visit to Kyiv and his meeting with Zelensky reinforce the assessments that despite the tough public rhetoric and the ongoing military confrontation, behind the scenes channels of communication continue to operate between the two sides.
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.
Special mission
The revelation of the involvement of Abramovich rekindles the scenarios about secret initiatives that unfold in parallel with military operations.
Despite the attacks, the sanctions, and the tough rhetoric, the channels of communication between Moscow and Kyiv seem not to have closed completely.
On the contrary, the use of persons with international prestige and connections suggests that both sides maintain alternative ways of contact for the case that conditions for political negotiation are created.
The question now is whether these contacts constitute simply exploratory moves or if they prepare the ground for a more substantial political initiative in the future.
In any case, the revelation that Roman Abramovich reportedly conveyed a personal request of Volodymyr Zelensky to Vladimir Putin adds a new and particularly interesting chapter to the background of the war.
It is reminded that the Russian billionaire had played a pivotal role also in the talks of the two sides in Istanbul in 2022, when Moscow and Kyiv came very close to an agreement, before the former prime minister of Britain, Boris Johnson, torpedoed it.
Peskov: Priority of Russia the goals of the special operation – Arbitrary conclusions about Zelensky letter
The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called on the international community not to proceed to premature conclusions regarding the open letter sent by the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as well as about the reaction of the American president Donald Trump.
Speaking on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Peskov stressed that there are many things that can be said about the exchange of statements, however he underlined that it is early for safe conclusions.
At the same time, he noted that the conflict in Ukraine lasts for years and that the active war phase has already entered its fifth year.
As he mentioned, the main priority of Moscow remains the achievement of the goals that had been set since the start of the special military operation.
It is reminded that on June 4 Volodymyr Zelensky published an open letter to Vladimir Putin, in which he proposed the start of direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, as well as a personal meeting aiming to discuss the termination of the conflict.
Kobyakov (Advisor to Putin): The Zelensky letter reminiscent of a clown and not serious diplomacy
Harsh criticism on the open letter of Volodymyr Zelensky to Vladimir Putin was exercised by the advisor to the Russian president and executive secretary of the organizing committee of SPIEF, Anton Kobyakov.
Commenting on the content of the letter, Kobyakov characterized the text as an attempt to attract publicity, stating that "it cannot be characterized otherwise than as a clown performance".
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.
The intervention of Trump
Interesting was also the stance of Donald Trump, who commented publicly on the exchange of messages between Moscow and Kyiv.
The American president argued that Putin and Zelensky should seek direct communication and expressed the assessment that the two sides are closer to an agreement than many analysts believe.
"Let them figure it out by themselves. I believe that we are closer to an agreement than most think," he stated characteristically.
The big question
The revelation about the role of Roman Abramovich brings back to the forefront the question to what extent public confrontations fully reflect what is happening behind the scenes.
The fact that Zelensky reportedly sought a personal meeting with Putin through a powerful Russian businessman shows that, despite the tough wartime reality, channels of communication still exist that could in the future play a role in possible political initiatives for the termination of the conflict.
Until then, Roman Abramovich seems to remain one of the most mysterious and influential factors of the background between Moscow and Kyiv.
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