Earlier in March, US Treasury Department officials unveiled a series of sanctions, including against Roman Abramovich, a prominent Russian oligarch, as punishment for Russia’s attack on Ukraine. But some sanctions could be counterproductive, warns Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
When it came time to announce these sanctions, which were to be imposed in tandem with those imposed by the United Kingdom and the European Union, the White House National Security Council intervened. He ordered the Treasury to stand back.
The reason: Zelenskyj advised President Biden in a recent telephone conversation to wait before imposing sanctions on the oligarch. Abramovich could prove to be an important mediator in the peace negotiations with Russia. This is now reported by the “Wall Street Journal”.
