In a shocking revelation, it has emerged that the billionaire Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich was ‘poisoned’ during peace talks on the Ukraine-Belarus border earlier this month. According to media reports, Abramovich suffered sore eyes and peeling skin. The Russian billionaire has now reportedly recovered from the suspected poisoning.
According to ta report, Ukrainian peace negotiators too were affected by the suspected poisoning. A report by Wall Street Journal said that the Chelsea FC owner and another peace negotiator developed ‘symptoms following the March 3 meeting in Kyiv that included red eyes, constant and painful tearing, and peeling skin on their faces and hands. Mr. Abramovich has shuttled between Moscow, Belarus and other negotiating venues since Russia invaded Ukraine.
The US has reportedly tried to play down the significance of the development. A US official was quoted by Reuters as saying that intelligence suggested the men’s symptoms were due to ‘environmental’ factors, not poisoning. Experts say that they are not surprised why the Biden administration is attempting to dampen down the suggestion of poisoning.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said that admitting that Russia had used a chemical weapon in Ukraine would push the US into retaliatory action that the Biden administration is ‘extremely reluctant to take.’ Other analysts feel that giving credence to the news of a chemical attack by Russia would lead to the beginning of the Third World War.
Abramovich has spent his time in shuttling between Moscow and Kyiv in recent days trying to broker peace between the two warring countries. During his trip to Kyiv he’s believed to have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The investigative journalism group Bellingcat has said that symptoms developed by the Russian billionaire and other peace negotiators were in ‘consistent with poisoning with chemical weapons.’
Russia attacked Ukraine earlier this month but has found it difficult to take control of the country. Ukrainian military and civilian forces have put up remarkable resistance and pushed Russian troops back.
The British government had imposed financial sanctions on Abramovich and other Russian oligarchs. Sanctions against Abramovich also included the freezing of Chelsea FC’s bank accounts and ban on the champion football club’s ability to sell tickets and merchandise. Abramovich has since put Chelsea up for sale. However, the financial gains from the sale of Chelsea FC will not go to Abramovich.