Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich spotted at Ukraine peace talks
Global News
Roman Abramovich has been “ensuring certain contacts between the Russian and Ukrainian sides,” a Kremlin spokesman said, but is not an official member of the delegation.
Soccer club owner. Ally of Vladimir Putin. Sanctioned oligarch. Could diplomatic go-between be added to the resume of Roman Abramovich?
The 55-year-old billionaire has swapped the skybox seat he once proudly occupied at his beloved Chelsea soccer club in Britain for a spot on the sidelines of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow aimed at ending Russia’s bloody war in Ukraine.
The silver-haired oil-and-aluminum tycoon stood in the background Tuesday as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan entered a hall packed with negotiators in a government building adjacent to the 19th century Ottoman palace, Dolmabahce, on the shores of the Bosporus in Istanbul.
It was left to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to try to explain Abramovich’s role.
Abramovich has been “ensuring certain contacts between the Russian and Ukrainian sides,” Peskov said, but is not an official member of the delegation. He said both sides have approved his role.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain, Vadym Prystaiko, said, however: “I have no idea what Mr. Abramovich is claiming or doing. He is not a part of the negotiation team.”
The talks appeared to yield a cautious step toward scaling back Moscow’s offensive when Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin said Russia would “fundamentally” cut back operations near Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv and a northern city in a move to build trust.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the two sides made “the most meaningful progress” since the start of the negotiations at their meeting in Istanbul.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
This is the first time France's National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office has taken on a case linked to the 'incel' or involuntary celibate movement.
Brian Tarrance, 51, was last seen on security footage leaving his rental home in Grace Bay, Providenciales, and walking toward the downtown area.
Letby is already serving life in jail and will never be released after being found guilty of murdering and attempting to murder newborns.
Trump said a 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the conflict — something Israel says it won't accept until Hamas is defeated.
As Washington has distanced itself under U.S. President Donald Trump from Ukraine's war efforts, a bigger onus has fallen on European countries to pressure Russia.
The order by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, however, included no timetables or details about what that suspension would entail.
Europe’s busiest air hub shut for about 18 hours in March after a fire knocked out one of the three electrical substations that supply Heathrow with power.
Europe is heating up at twice the global average speed and is the world's fastest-warming continent, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service has said.
Dorian Christian MacDonald was on vacation alone at a hotel in Puerto Plata on the north coast of the island.