Roman Abramovich has attended peace talks in Turkey today between Ukraine and Russia a day after it was revealed the oligarch was poisoned at a previous meeting.
The billionaire is acting as an unofficial mediator and sat next to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahimn Kalin at the high-level talks today led by the Turkish president.
The Chelsea owner was poisoned during negotiations in Kyiv earlier this month after eating chocolate along with Ukrainian MP Rustem Umerov, who is also present at the talks in Turkey today.
Ukrainian officials were warned not to eat, drink or even touch anything during today’s negotiations following the news of the poisoning.
Delegates at today’s meeting were given bottled water with glasses covered with paper tops, to allay fears about another chemical attack.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba warned: ‘I advise anyone going for negotiations with Russia not to eat or drink any thing, (and) preferably avoid touching surfaces.’
A Ukrainian reporter said the start of today’s meeting was ‘a cold welcome, no handshake’, amid concerns the talks will not bring about a ceasefire.




