The Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who is trying to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine, as well as two Ukrainian negotiators suffered from symptoms that suggest possible “poisoning”, reported on Monday the Wall Street Journal.
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After a meeting in the Ukrainian capital in March, the billionaire and owner of English football club Chelsea and at least two senior members of the Ukrainian negotiating team “developed symptoms”, writes the American newspaper, citing “persons aware of this situation”. Reddened and watery eyes, peeling face and hands: these symptoms then improved “and their lives are not in danger”, he adds.
The daily’s sources spoke of possible poisoning and suspected hardliners in Moscow who they say want to sabotage talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
A relative of Roman Abramovich, however, said for his part that he was not sure of the identity of those who would have targeted the group, specifies the Wall Street Journalalso claiming that Western experts could not determine the cause of the symptoms.
The newspaper confirms in any case that the Russian oligarch, considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and already targeted by sanctions from the European Union and the United Kingdom in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has started shuttling between Moscow and Ukraine as part of a mediation to end the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that several Russian businessmen, including Roman Abramovich, had offered to help Ukraine.
the Wall Street Journal revealed last week that the Ukrainian president had asked his American counterpart, Joe Biden, not to sanction Roman Abramovich, arguing that he could play a role in peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
And in fact, the billionaire does not appear at this stage on the list of oligarchs sanctioned by Washington, yet extended several times and again last Thursday.