Abramovich Reemerges as Backchannel in Russia-Ukraine Peace Efforts

Abramovich Reemerges in Moscow-Kyiv Contacts

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has once again emerged as an intermediary between Moscow and Kyiv in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea FC who remains under Western sanctions, previously acted as a mediator during failed negotiations in the early weeks of Russia's 2022 invasion.

This time, the billionaire traveled to Ukraine carrying messages between the two sides. The role builds on earlier contacts that began shortly after the full-scale invasion, when filmmaker Alexander Rodnyansky contacted Abramovich at the suggestion of his son, who advised the Ukrainian president.

Private Meeting in Kyiv and the Donbas Message

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he met privately with Abramovich in Kyiv last month. Zelensky used the backchannel to notify President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine will never surrender its eastern Donbas region.

In an interview with Sky News broadcast Sunday, Zelensky said Abramovich visited Kyiv to gauge what Ukraine was ready to do to initiate peace talks. The meeting was not a secret, though Abramovich had initially asked that his role remain confidential.

Zelensky stated directly to Abramovich about Donbas that Ukraine will not leave and will not go out from its territory. He added that Ukraine will not give Russia a victory in such a way.

Putin Describes the Businessman's Report

The acknowledgment came days after Putin revealed that an unidentified Russian businessman had told him that Zelensky had invited him to travel to Ukraine. While Putin did not identify the businessman, Abramovich is known to have met with Putin in person and spoken with him by phone multiple times since the war began.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, Putin said that three weeks ago one of the representatives of our business circles called him and asked a question, adding that the businessman had been invited to Kyiv. Putin recalled telling the businessman that he cannot authorize any actions and that such matters must be handled by serious, specially trained people including the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry and other services.

Putin said he met the businessman after his return from Kyiv. He reiterated that he would only meet Zelensky if the two sides were ready to sign a settlement agreement, noting he does not see the point in meeting otherwise.

Longstanding Trust Between Putin and the Mediator

Putin appeared to allude to the relationship with Abramovich in his remarks on Friday, describing the businessman as someone he had known for a very long time. Putin stated that the two do not have close contacts but that he trusts him because he is an honest person.

The Kremlin has consistently framed such contacts as informal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at an earlier stage that Abramovich was not an official member of any delegation but was involved in ensuring certain contacts between the two sides.

Role in the 2022 Turkey Talks

Abramovich was involved in failed peace talks when Turkey hosted talks between Russia and Ukraine in spring 2022. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at the time that Abramovich participated in the negotiations as a member of the Russian delegation, adding that his presence indicated he was trusted by Moscow.

Then-Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Abramovich had been making sincere efforts to advance peace since the first days of the war and had made a positive contribution to diplomatic efforts.

Additional Channels on Grain and Prisoner Issues

While the 2022 peace talks failed to produce a settlement, Abramovich also became involved in several humanitarian and economic initiatives. According to The Wall Street Journal, Abramovich served as a backchannel between sides during negotiations over the 2022 Black Sea grain deal brokered by the United Nations.

Bloomberg reported that Abramovich met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh in August 2023 to discuss a prisoner-of-war exchange between Moscow and Kyiv. While it is unclear whether the talks directly led to an agreement, Russia and Ukraine subsequently carried out a high-profile prisoner swap involving pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk and several foreign nationals. Moscow also handed over 215 prisoners, many of whom had been involved in the defense of Ukraine's Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

These episodes illustrate how informal channels involving trusted Russian business figures continue to operate alongside official structures of the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry. The pattern shows repeated attempts to maintain limited lines of communication even as formal negotiations remain stalled.

By Irina Volkov, Staff Writer