Mueez Ajao
– Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning at talks on the Ukraine-Belarus border earlier this month, sources close to him say.
– The Chelsea FC owner – who has now recovered – reportedly suffered sore eyes and skin peeling.
– Two Ukrainian peace negotiators were also said to have been affected.
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– One report said the alleged poisoning was orchestrated by hardliners in Russia who wanted to sabotage talks.
– Shortly after the allegations emerged, an unnamed US official was quoted by Reuters as saying that intelligence suggested the sickening of the men was due to “environmental” factors, not poisoning.
– And later an official in the Ukrainian president’s office, Ihor Zhovkva, told the BBC that while he hadn’t spoken to Abramovich, members of the Ukrainian delegation were “fine” and one had said the story was “false”.
– However, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says it would hardly be surprising that the US would want to dampen down suggestions that anyone – especially Russia – had used a chemical weapon in Ukraine, as this could push them into retaliatory action that they are extremely reluctant to take.
