Blavatnik holds both U.S. and U.K. citizenship and has generously funded election campaigns for both Democrats and Republicans.
At present, experts see no reason for the Kremlin leader to end the war, despite the high costs and heavy losses.
Ukraine is becoming the staging area for a new paradigm: machine-led conflict.
On Friday, the first direct negotiations between representatives of Russia and Ukraine since the start of the war took place in Istanbul — and lasted less than two hours.
As the world’s attention turns to Istanbul, where peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to take place, the diplomatic climate remains highly tense.
Under mounting external pressure, the first direct talks in three years between representatives of Russia and Ukraine may take place this Thursday.
What’s surprising is that the initiative did not come from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, but he quickly seized the unexpected diplomatic opportunity.
Steve Witkoff expressed hope for a personal summit between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.
The unexpected proposal was warmly received by Kyiv and marked a new phase in international efforts to resolve the ongoing war.
While the situation remains highly unstable, this diplomatic momentum is being viewed as one of the most hopeful developments in the conflict in the past three years.
Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and a persistent diplomatic deadlock, Russian President Vladimir Putin has unexpectedly proposed direct negotiations with Kyiv.
Their visit symbolized not only continued support for Ukraine, but also the launch of a new stage of international pressure on Russia aimed at securing a binding ceasefire.
This statement marked the first time Xi personally articulated the principles that, in his view, should form the basis of a settlement to the military conflict.
