Status: 03/28/2022 8:48 p.m
The Russian oligarch Abramovich appears to be mediating between Ukraine and Russia. After a round of negotiations, he and two Ukrainians are said to have developed symptoms of poisoning. The Ukrainian side denies this.
Shortly before the new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, reports have surfaced that the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian negotiators may have been the target of a poison attack. This is reported, among other things, by the “Wall Street Journal”.
Abramovich is currently mediating between the conflicting parties. After a meeting in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the billionaire and two members of the Ukrainian negotiating team showed “symptoms of suspected poisoning,” according to the Wall Street Journal, citing informed circles.
A spokesman for Abramovich confirmed this report to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. At the same time, negotiators in Ukraine rejected reports of poisoning. All members of the negotiating groups are working normally, Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podoliak said, according to local media. “In the information sector there is currently a lot of speculation, different versions of conspiracies and elements of one or the other information game.”
Unclear backgrounds
According to the Wall Street Journal, three men suffered from red eyes, painful tearing and peeling skin on their faces and hands. The symptoms would then have improved again.
According to the newspaper, the sources of the “Wall Street Journal” suspect hardliners in Moscow to be behind the incident. They wanted to sabotage talks between Russia and Ukraine to end the Ukraine war.
A confidant of Abramovich told the Wall Street Journal that it was unclear who might be behind the incident. In addition, Western experts could not have provided an explanation for the symptoms.
The Reuters news agency refers to intelligence information that “with a high degree of probability” indicated that environmental influences were involved and not poisoning. The US representative did not want to give details.
Abramovich apparently mediates
According to media reports, Abramovich is currently traveling back and forth between Russia and Ukraine and is trying to mediate in the conflict.
The billionaire with good connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin was sanctioned by the EU and Great Britain after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine – but not by the USA.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked US President Joe Biden to exempt the oligarch, known as the owner of the English football club Chelsea, from sanctions because he could play an important role as a mediator.