Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was excluded from sanctions the United States slapped on Russia, its leader, and businesses after Ukraine’s president claimed the billionaire soccer team owner may be an important go-between during peace negotiations, a report claimed Thursday.

U.S. Treasury Department officials had drafted a set of sanctions to punish Russia and Vladimir Putin, as well as multiple oligarchs tied to him following Moscow’s unprovoked attack on Kyiv, but was told by the White House’s National Security Council to exclude Abramovich, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people with knowledge of the phone call between the council and Treasury.