In early March, US Treasury Department officials created a package of sanctions to punish Roman Abramovich after Russia started its war against Ukraine.. But when it was time to implement them, the National Security Council at the White House ordered to postpone the punishment of the Russian oligarch.

The reason was this: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky advised President Joe Biden during a telephone conversation not to impose sanctions on Abramovich, who could be a useful broker with Russia in the peace talks.. This is reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing its own sources.. President Biden discussed a number of sanctions with the Ukrainian leader, including those aimed at Abramovich.

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The office of the President of Ukraine and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington did not respond to the publication's requests for comment..

“For the sake of negotiations and their success, it is not worth commenting on either the process itself or the participation of Mr. Abramovich in it.. If previously announced, based on requests, including those received from Jewish organizations in Ukraine, he is doing everything to support efforts aimed at establishing peace as soon as possible,"

The Wall Street Journal writes that Abramovich was involved in the talks after the Ukrainian government began contacting people associated with the Kremlin, hoping they could become a channel of communication with Putin.. One of these potential contacts was supposed to be Russian TV producer Alexander Rodnyansky.. Sources said that it was he who contacted Abramovich.

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Recall that on March 15, the EU imposed sanctions against a group of Russian oligarchs and major business figures of the Russian Federation.. Roman Abramovich, Suleiman Kerimov, co-founders of Alfa Group German Khan and Alexei Kuzmichev, the main owner of MMK Viktor Rashnikov, the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin, the chairman of PJSC " Also under European sanctions were the companies RN-Aero, UAC, USC, Russian Helicopters, Uralvagonzavod.