Zelenskyy Meets Abramovich
During a break in talks in London, Zelenskyy revealed to Sky News UK that he recently met with Russian businessman Roman Abramovich:
"He came to Kyiv. He said he was specifically there to deliver a message to me, and also to bring back my response to Putin. But he emphasized very clearly that this communication must be conducted discreetly, without any public statements."
Zelenskyy stated that the Kremlin is seeking to determine Ukraine’s red lines in potential peace negotiations, including conditions related to territorial concessions.
Zelenskyy said, "I made it clear that we will not withdraw from the Donbas region. We will never allow Russia to win in this way."
Abramovich had previously acted as an informal intermediary between Ukraine and Russia at the beginning of the conflict, making this a renewed private contact between the two sides.
On June 5, during his speech at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin disclosed: "A prominent Russian businessman was entrusted with meeting Zelenskyy to explore Ukraine’s bottom line in peace negotiations, including willingness to make territorial concessions." However, the businessman returned on May 21, and Ukraine attacked the student dormitory at the Luhansk Professional College the next day, on May 22. At that time, Putin did not disclose the man's identity.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867463983707136/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.