Sir Keir Starmer has warned Roman Abramovich that “the clock is ticking” for him to donate £2.5bn from the sale of Chelsea to Ukraine.
The Prime Minister told MPs on Wednesday that ministers have issued a licence allowing the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea to be transferred to a new foundation for humanitarian causes in Ukraine.
Speaking in the House of Commons, he said, “My message to Abramovich is this: the clock is ticking.
“Honour the commitment you made and pay it up now; if you don’t, we are prepared to go to court so every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putin’s illegal war.”
Following Vladimir Putin’s invasion earlier that year, sanctions forced Abramovich to sell the club in May 2022.
The oligarch had pledged to donate the proceeds from the sale to the Ukrainian people, but he has so far failed to reach an agreement with the government on a way forward, and the funds remain frozen.
Wednesday’s decision to grant a license for the transfer is an effort to force Abramovich to fulfil his promise before the government resorts to legal action.
The government previously raised the possibility of legal action in June, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves and then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy said they were “frustrated” by the failure to reach an agreement with Abramovich.
On Wednesday, Reeves said it was “unacceptable” that the money remained frozen in a UK bank and said ministers were “prepared to do what is necessary” to ensure the funds reach Ukraine.
The Treasury said ministers would consider any proposal from Abramovich to voluntarily transfer the money to Ukraine.
Under the new licence, the proceeds must go to humanitarian causes in Ukraine, while any future gains can be spent more broadly on victims of conflict around the world.
‘Stand-off the reasoning behind delay’
Sky Sports News’ chief correspondent, Kaveh Solhekol, stated:
“There has been a stand-off between the UK government and Abramovich because the government wants the money to go to Ukraine, whereas Abramovich wants the money to go to “all victims” of the war, which would see some of it potentially going to Russia.
“Abramovich was sanctioned at the time of the sale and the sale only went ahead because he was issued with a special licence which allowed the sale, providing he could prove he would not personally benefit.
“The money still legally belongs to Abramovich, but he cannot access it.”
