Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich will likely be sanctioned by the US as peace talks fail to make progress, insiders say

• Abramovich failed to make a breakthrough with President Zelenskyy's chief of staff, per Bloomberg.
• Sources said the White House is under renewed pressure to sanction the oligarch as talks stutter.

Russian Oligarch and would-be peacemaker Roman Abramovich looks increasingly likely to be sanctioned by the US as Kyiv peace talks between Abramovich and Zeleskyy's chief of staff failed to make progress, sources told Bloomberg.

Three people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Abramovich carried out talks in Ukraine's capital with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, rather than the president himself.

Two of the sources said Zelenskyy was increasingly pessimistic about the prospect of peace as further information about atrocities in towns like Bucha and Mariupol came to light.

Two White House insiders told Bloomberg the US was under increasing pressure to hit Abramovich with sanctions, which were reportedly drawn up weeks ago.

Abramovich, Yermak, and the White House did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment outside regular working hours.

Abramovich has avoided sanctioning by the US so far while he unofficially brokers peace talks with Ukraine, after being granted consent by Russian President Vladimir Putin in early March.

"Roman Abramovich is involved in enabling certain contacts between the Russian and Ukrainian sides," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. Zelenskyy had asked US President Joe Biden to drop proposed sanctions against Abramovich as a sign of goodwill that appears to be running out.

At peace talks on March 3, Abramovich was allegedly poisoned along with Ukrainian officials, which prompted him to ask if he was dying.

Despite his continued involvement in peace talks and conversations with Putin, Abramovich has consistently distanced himself from having financial ties to the Kremlin, denying any special relationship with Putin and avoiding Russian politics. These are claims that Western officials widely dispute.

Skeptics in Ukraine have questioned whether Abramovich's motivations for participating in peace talks are sincere or weighted towards protecting his finances from sanctions.

Abramovich, who is well known in the UK as the owner of Chelsea Football Club, was sanctioned by the country on March 10. The British government seized the club after the oligarch put it up for sale at a rumored £2.5 billion.

In a statement from Chelsea FC, Abramovich said he would put the proceeds from the sale into a fund "for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine."

Sources later told The Guardian the money would not just go to Ukrainians but could also be used to help Russians, debunking Abramovich's ambitious claim.

Bloomberg reported that Abramovich was house-hunting in Dubai, which is not engaged in sanctions against Russia. The United Arab Emirates has seen a surge of wealthy Russians buying homes to seek refuge from sanctions.

As the war rages on, the UN has accused Russia of committing "a horror story of violations" in Ukraine, including rape and civilian killings. The accusations prompted US President Biden's declaration that Russia was committing "genocide."

The failed talks suggest that the atrocities committed, alongside new Russian offensives in the south and east of Ukraine, have made hopes of a withdrawal or peace look increasingly dim.