Roman
Abramovich
, Russian billionaire and owner of Premier League side Chelsea,
arrived in Belarus to mediate the peace talk between Russia and Ukraine in view
of the escalating war. According to  The
Jerusalem Post, Abramovich was requested by the Ukrainians to help in resuming
dialogue and he agreed to the request and travelled to Belarus to participate
in the discussions.

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The
Russian and Ukrainian delegations have also arrived at the Belarusian border
town of Gomel on Sunday and began talks aimed at finding a way to end the
fighting in Ukraine. Abramovich has close ties with the Jewish communities in
Ukraine and Russia.

Abramovich
has recently faced criticism from the UK government for his past relationship
with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Calls have also been made in the UK
parliament to sanction him. On Sunday, he decided to give the
“stewardship” of Chelsea over to trustees of the club’s charitable
foundation.

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According
to The Jerusalem Post, film producer Alexander Rodnyansky is in close contact
with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his staff. As the government
officials reached out to him, he spoke to Abramovich who decided to engage in
the peacemaking efforts to bring an end to the war.

“The
Ukrainians had been trying to find someone in Russia who could help in finding
a peaceful resolution,” Rodnyansky explained. “They reached out for help and
Roman is the person who decided to help and to mobilize support for a peaceful
resolution.”

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The
two-time Oscar-nominated film producer Rodnyansky said that while Abramovich’s
“influence is limited”, he was the only person he knew of who agreed in Russia
to the Ukrainian request. “I don’t know if there will be impact but we know
Zelensky’s staff and I am from the Ukraine and they are grateful for the
efforts,” he said.

However,
neither Abramovich nor his spokesperson commented on the reports that he is in
Belarus but had confirmed that he was approached by the Ukrainian officials.

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“I
can confirm that Roman Abramovich was contacted by the Ukrainian side for
support in achieving a peaceful resolution, and that he has been trying to help
ever since. Considering what is at stake, we would ask for understanding as to
why we have not commented on neither the situation as such nor his
involvement,” the spokesperson said.