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, have suffered symptoms that point to a possible “poisoning”, The American newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
After a meeting in the Ukrainian capital this month, the billionaire owner of English soccer club Chelsea and at least two senior officials in the Ukrainian negotiating team “developed symptoms,” the newspaper writes, citing “people aware of this situation.”
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The symptoms described, among which they indicated reddened and watery eyes, peeling of the face and hands, then they got better “and their lives are not in danger,” adds the WSJ.
Who were?
The newspaper’s sources spoke of a possible poisoning and suspected hardliners in Moscow who they say they 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 Journal, further stating that Western experts were unable to 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 subject to sanctions by the European Union and the United Kingdom after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he began traveling 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 Abramovich, had offered to help Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal revealed last week that the Ukrainian president had asked his US counterpart, Joe Biden, not to sanction Abramovich, arguing that he could play a role in Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations.
And, in fact, the billionaire’s name does not appear at this time on the list of oligarchs sanctioned by Washington, expanded several times since the Russian offensive launched on February 24, the last one last Thursday.
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AFP
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