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According to a report by Anadolu Agency on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he made it clear to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich during a meeting in Kyiv that Ukraine will not withdraw from its territories as part of any negotiations to end the ongoing war with Russia.
Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, published on Tuesday, Zelenskyy provided new details of his discussions with Abramovich, describing the meeting as part of broader informal diplomatic contacts aimed at exploring possible pathways toward peace.
The Ukrainian president said he believes divisions exist within Russia’s political and elite circles, suggesting that while some individuals close to President Vladimir Putin may support an end to the war, others remain committed to continuing the conflict.
Zelenskyy explained that Abramovich’s visit to Kyiv was understood to be linked to potential messaging around “the infrastructure of diplomatic negotiations,” with the billionaire acting in an informal intermediary capacity.
According to Zelenskyy, his response during the meeting was firm but open to dialogue, reiterating Ukraine’s willingness to engage in talks while rejecting any territorial concessions.
“I said we are ready but we will not leave our territory by ourselves, by our decisions. So it’s not about compromises,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remain non-negotiable conditions in any peace process.
Separately, reports by the Financial Times, citing individuals familiar with the matter, claimed that Zelenskyy invited Abramovich to Kyiv in May in what was described as an attempt to encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in direct peace talks. The report suggested the initiative did not achieve its intended outcome.
According to those accounts, Zelenskyy asked Abramovich to relay a message to the Kremlin expressing Ukraine’s readiness to meet directly with Putin, in an effort to demonstrate Kyiv’s willingness to pursue diplomatic solutions despite the ongoing war.
Zelenskyy himself later confirmed the meeting in an interview with Sky News, acknowledging that discussions took place with Abramovich as part of broader communication efforts.
Roman Abramovich, a Russian businessman and former owner of Chelsea Football Club, has been involved in various informal mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine since the early stages of the conflict in 2022. His role has largely centered on facilitating communication channels between the two sides, particularly during periods when formal diplomatic engagement has stalled.
