Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held the first direct peace talks in more than two weeks on Tuesday in Istanbul, with the surprise attendance of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich who is sanctioned by the West over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The two teams sat facing each other at a long table in the presidential office, with the Russian oligarch sitting in the front row of observers wearing a blue suit, a Turkish presidential video feed showed.
Signs have emerged since the war began that Abramovich has been seeking to encourage negotiations, and he has traveled to Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and Israel in March. Two of his superyachts are docked at Turkish resorts.His presence baffled at least one Ukrainian diplomat, while Moscow said he was not formally negotiating but rather there as a go-between.
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