Ukrainian President Asked Biden Not to Sanction Abramovich, to Facilitate Peace Talks
https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-president-asked-biden-not-to-sanction-abramovich-to-facilitate-peace-talks-11648053860
Note: As far as I can tell, the entire article is free to read.
Early this month, officials inside the U.S. Treasury Department drafted a set of sanctions to punish Roman Abramovich, a prominent Russian oligarch, following Russias attack on Ukraine, say people familiar with the plans.
When it came time to announce those sanctions, which had been designed to go out in tandem with sanctions from the U.K. and European Union, the White Houses National Security Council told the Treasury to hold off. The reason: Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky advised President Biden in a recent phone call to wait on sanctioning the oligarch, who might prove important as a go-between with Russia in helping to negotiate peace, according to people with knowledge of the call.
President Biden consulted Ukraines president on a range of sanctions, including the planned penalties targeting Mr. Abramovich.
We are not going to read out private conversations between President Biden and President Zelensky, said Emily Horne, a spokeswoman for the White Houses National Security Council. The Treasury Department didnt respond to a request for comment.