Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked President Joe Biden to postpone imposing sanctions on Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich so that he could mediate between Moscow and Kiev, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Britain, the EU and Switzerland have already imposed sanctions on Abramovich for his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US Treasury Department was ready to impose sanctions against Abramovich earlier this month along with the United Kingdom and the European Union, but the White House decided to abstain, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Zelenskyy asked the president to wait to impose sanctions on Abramovich, who has close relations with Vladimir Putin, because Ukrainian leaders believe he could be an important mediator between Moscow, the official told the newspaper.