Zelenskyy reveals meeting with Roman Abramovich in Kyiv as backchannel to Putin on peace talks

Jun 7, 2026

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed meeting with sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in Kyiv to serve as a backchannel for peace talks with Vladimir Putin. Abramovich offered to carry a message requesting a direct meeting, but Putin later rejected the proposal, seeing 'no point' in it. This marks Zelenskyy's first acknowledgment of Abramovich's role in current negotiations.

Abramovich backchannel diplomacy

▪Vladimir Putin acknowledged meeting an unnamed "representative" from Russian business circles but said the person was not acting in an official capacity.
▪On or around June 5, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the proposal for a direct meeting, stating he saw "no point" in it.
▪The purpose of the meeting was for Roman Abramovich to convey Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request for direct peace talks to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
▪Roman Abramovich previously participated in unsuccessful peace talks during the first weeks of the 2022 invasion, with the Kremlin noting his "early role."
▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosted Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in Kyiv for a meeting.
▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy's comments to Sky News were his first public acknowledgment of Roman Abramovich's travel to Ukraine's capital for negotiations.
▪Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK and the EU since 2022 over Russia's war in Ukraine and his alleged ties to Putin's regime.
▪According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Roman Abramovich stated the backchannel communication had to be "silent without any kind of public messages."