Starmer tells Abramovich to ‘pay up now’ or face court
The prime minister said Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich must “immediately pay his debt” to war victims in Ukraine or go to court.
Mr Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, has promised that the £2.5bn he will receive from the sale of the club in 2022 will be used to benefit victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But there has been a delay in its release due to disagreement over exactly how the funds, currently frozen in a British bank account, should be used.
The government wants the money to be used for humanitarian aid, but Mr Abramovich insisted it be used for “all war victims”, meaning the Russians could also benefit.
The oligarch cannot access the money under UK sanctions, but the proceeds from the Chelsea sale still legally belong to him.
A government spokesman said: “If Mr Abramovich fails to act quickly, this government is fully committed and prepared to go to court if necessary to enforce that commitment.”
They said the funds will “strengthen frontline capacity, increase protection of the most vulnerable, and support sustainable solutions to help Ukraine move from crisis response to long-term resilience.”
“It would be difficult to overstate the impact of an additional two and a half billion pounds on the Ukrainian people.”
Representatives for Mr. Abramovich declined to comment.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had issued a license “to transfer £2.5bn from the sale of Chelsea Football Club, which has been frozen since 2022”.
Sir Keir said: “My message to Abramovich is clear: the clock is ticking.
“Keep your commitment and pay now; if you don’t, we’re ready to go to court and make sure every penny reaches those whose lives have been shattered by Putin’s illegal war.”
The Treasury said under license terms the money had to go to “humanitarian purposes” in Ukraine and could not benefit Mr Abramovich or any sanctioned person.
Government He first threatened to sue Mr Abramovich in June.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “It is unacceptable that more than £2.5bn of money owed to the Ukrainian people is allowed to remain frozen in a UK bank account.”
Mr Abramovich, a Russian billionaire who made his fortune in oil and gas, was given an exclusive license to sell Chelsea following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on condition he could prove he would not benefit from the sale.
It is alleged that he has strong ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he has denied this.
Mr Abramovich is understood to have 90 days to act before the UK considers legal action.
EU leaders on Thursday are set to review proposals to use revenues from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s massive budget and defense needs. Russia strongly opposed this proposal.
