--- title: "Zelenskyy on meeting with Abramovich: 'We will not give you victory this way'" description: "Zelenskyy confirms meeting with Abramovich in Kyiv: oligarch attempted to convey a message to Putin. The President refused concessions on Donbas, while the Kremlin responded with personal insults instead of peace. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ€πŸ‡·πŸ‡Ί" date: 2026-06-07T18:38:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelenskyy-on-meeting-with-abramovich-we-will-not-give-you-victory-this-way tags: [] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelenskyy on meeting with Abramovich: 'We will not give you victory this way' ![Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a table during an important meeting, discussing international cooperation and countering attempts to achieve victory through pressure.](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/07/zelenyi-o-vstreche-s-abramovichem-mi-ne-dadim-vam-pobedy/zelenyi-o-vstreche-s-abramovichem-mi-ne-dadim-vam-pobedy-1.webp) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly commented for the first time on rumors regarding his meeting with Russian businessman Roman Abramovich in Kyiv. This was reported by RBK-Ukraine, citing an interview with the head of state by Sky News. According to the Ukrainian leader, the Russian billionaire, who is under strict Western sanctions due to his ties with the Kremlin, did indeed personally visit the Ukrainian capital. Abramovich claimed to have a mandate to convey information between the leaders of the two countries and proposed holding negotiations in the format of "quiet diplomacy" without publicity. ### The Oligarch's Proposal and Kyiv's Response Zelenskyy shared details of the conversation: "He came to Kyiv and said: 'I brought a message directly to you, I want to take a message from you and pass it to Vladimir Putin'. But he emphasized that this needed to be done quietly." The President noted that the format was not decisive for Ukraine, so he agreed to listen to the intermediary. The main goal of Abramovich's visit was to ascertain Kyiv's position: what steps Ukraine was willing to take regarding a peaceful settlement. However, Zelenskyy clearly outlined the red lines. He assured that there would be no concessions regarding territorial integrity and the status of Donbas. "That was the key message. I said that we will not go along with it. We will not give you victory this way," the President emphasized. ### Kremlin's Reaction and Consequences Earlier, Western media reported that in late May 2026, a counter-signal was conveyed through Roman Abramovich. The Ukrainian leader expressed readiness for a bilateral summit, which could have been the first such step in four years of full-scale invasion. According to sources, the content of the message echoed an open letter published on the President's Office website. Vladimir Putin's response followed on June 5 during a speech at the St. Petersburg International Investment Forum. Instead of discussing proposals to end the war, the Russian leader focused on personal jabs, stating that he was "hurt" by mentions of his age and long tenure in power. Volodymyr Zelenskyy called such a response "weak" and disappointing. In his opinion, the Kremlin's reaction demonstrated an unwillingness to negotiate, making the only way out for the international community to increase financial and political pressure on Russia.