Lauge Risom Koch 
The Kremlin has confirmed that a prominent Russian businessman visited Kyiv and met President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Kremlin has acknowledged that a prominent Russian businessman recently traveled to Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though Russian officials declined to identify him.
Reports from Ukraine suggest the visitor was oligarch Roman Abramovich, who previously played a role in contacts between Moscow and Kyiv during earlier peace efforts.
Kremlin acknowledgment
According to RMF24, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed that a well-known Russian businessman visited the Ukrainian capital.
“A fairly well-known businessman traveled to Kyiv. Many people know him,” Ushakov said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
He did not reveal the individual’s identity but noted that Moscow continues to maintain both public and private channels of communication with Ukrainian authorities.
The remarks offered a rare glimpse into unofficial contacts between figures linked to Russia and the Ukrainian leadership.
Abramovich named
According to RMF24, Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Honcharenko claimed the businessman was Roman Abramovich.
“According to my information, such a meeting actually took place and it was about Roman Abramovich. He was the one who came to Kyiv to meet with the president and convey his information to Putin,” Honcharenko wrote on Telegram.
The lawmaker said the meeting likely took place on May 21.
Neither the Kremlin nor Ukrainian officials have publicly confirmed Abramovich’s involvement.
Putin’s remarks
Speaking during the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Vladimir Putin referred to a recent visit by a “representative of the business community” to Kyiv.
According to Putin, the businessman met Zelensky at his residence and later returned to Russia carrying a verbal message.
“This was, I believe, on May 21st,” Putin said.
The Russian president stated that the businessman conveyed Zelensky’s request for a direct meeting but did not identify him by name.
Role as intermediary
According to RMF24, Abramovich was the only major Russian businessman known to participate in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in 2022.
Previous reporting by the Financial Times described him as a trusted intermediary between the Kremlin and Kyiv during the early stages of the war.
The publication also reported that Zelensky had previously urged the United States not to sanction Abramovich while mediation efforts were underway.
Sources: RMF24, TASS, Financial Times
