Roman Abramovich remains one of the most enigmatic figures in the war between Russia and Ukraine. As the conflict enters its fifth year, the former Chelsea owner is still considered one of the few people who enjoys the Kremlin’s trust and who at the same time maintains channels of communication with Kiev. A previously unknown episode has been revealed by Ukrainian producer and director Alexandr Rodnyansky in his autobiographical book Nebulov. According to him, in the fall of 2021, a few months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the famous Russian journalist Vladimir Solovyov had warned him that war was inevitable.
“There will be war. Believe me, I don’t see it very well. He is convinced,” Solovyov had told him, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rodnyansky says Solovyov then contacted him to find someone who could mediate with the Kremlin and perhaps persuade Putin to abandon his plans. The two agreed on a name: Roman Abramovich.
However, the efforts at that time did not bring results. Later, in March 2022, Abramovich was involved in the first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, but they also ended without an agreement. The Russian oligarch’s role has recently returned to the spotlight after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in an interview with Sky News that he had met with Abramovich in Kiev last month. According to Zelensky, Abramovich had conveyed a direct message from Moscow and had asked to receive a response to convey to Putin, but on the condition that everything would take place away from the public eye.
During the meeting, the Russian oligarch sought to understand whether Ukraine was ready to enter into peace negotiations. Zelensky reiterated that Kiev has no intention of giving up Donbas, considering it an unacceptable victory for Moscow.
Despite diplomatic efforts, Putin’s recent statements at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum have shown that the Kremlin remains steadfast in its demands, conditioning any negotiations on the handover of the Donbas region. Abramovich has previously played a role in the deal to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea and in several prisoner exchanges between the two countries. In 2022, the Financial Times described him as a “confidant” of Putin, while various reports have suggested that Zelensky himself had asked the US to postpone the imposition of sanctions against him due to his role as a mediator.
Meanwhile, the Russian nationalist media outlet Tsargrad claims that Abramovich is trying to build new bridges of communication between Moscow and Brussels. According to these reports, he has contacted former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. While Ukrainian producer Rodnyansky has been sentenced to eight years in prison in Russia for his anti-war stances and Solovyov has become one of the most powerful voices of Kremlin propaganda, the mystery surrounding Roman Abramovich still remains unsolved.