প্রকাশ: 01/03/2022
Russian billionaire
businessman Roman Abramovich, who owns English Premier League soccer club
Chelsea, has accepted a Ukrainian request to help negotiate an end to the
Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich was asked by Ukraine to help mediate because of
his background in Russia, where he made a fortune in the chaotic 1990s period
of post-communist privatisation, a source with knowledge of the matter told
Reuters in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on condition of anonymity.
Word of Abramovich's involvement in talks on the conflict
first came from the Jewish News, which said Kyiv had reached out through Jewish
contacts to seek his help.
"I can confirm Roman Abramovich was contacted by the
Ukrainian side for support in achieving a peaceful resolution, and that he has
been trying to help ever since," a spokeswoman for Abramovich said.
"Considering what is at stake, we would ask for
understanding as to why we have not commented on either the situation as such
or his involvement."
Abramovich, who is Jewish and has Israeli citizenship, was
one of the most powerful businessmen who earned fabulous fortunes after the
1991 break-up of the Soviet Union. Forbes has put his net worth at $13.3
billion.
A commodity trader who thrived in the post-Soviet disorder
of the 1990s under then-President Boris Yeltsin, Abramovich acquired stakes in
the Sibneft oil company, Rusal aluminium producer and Aeroflot airline that
were later sold.
Under President Vladimir Putin, Abramovich served as
governor of the remote Arctic region of Chukotka in Russia's Far East.
It was not immediately clear what role, if any, Abramovich
would have in talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials that began on
Monday at the Belarusian border.
Earlier a Ukrainian presidential adviser said Kyiv's goal
for the talks was an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces
from Ukraine. Ukrainian media later clarified that the reported comments were
the personal opinion of the adviser, who is not a member of the talks
delegation. Moscow has not said explicitly what its objective is in the talks.
"Ukraine wanted to find someone to help seek a peaceful
resolution and they were recommended by the Jewish community to contact
Roman," a second source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.
"It is unclear what influence he will have because
Russia is not a country where big businessmen can influence political
decisions," the source said.
Abramovich, 55, said on Saturday he was giving trustees of
Chelsea stewardship of the club.
In recent days, two other Russian billionaires, Mikhail
Fridman and Oleg Deripaska, have called for an end to the conflict. read more
Putin used an early morning address to the nation on Feb. 24
to order "a special military operation" against Ukraine just three
days after recognising two Russian-backed rebel regions of Ukraine.
Putin said he was ordering the military operation to protect
people, including Russian citizens, from "genocide" - an accusation
Ukraine and the West reject as baseless propaganda.
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