3/6/2025–|Last update: 18:33 (Mecca time)
The British government said it is totally ready to sue Russian businessman Roman Abramovich to help release frozen money from selling Chelsea Football Club, which was dedicated to helping the Russian war in Ukraine.
Britain imposed sanctions on Abramovich as part of a campaign against Russian businessmen after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which led to a rapid sale of the competing club in the Premier League for 2.5 billion pounds ($ 3.4 billion), provided that money is used to establish a humanitarian charity.
People familiar with the matter said that the money was frozen in a British banking account due to a dispute between Abramovich and the government on how to spend it.
Britain wants the money to spend in Ukraine only, in line with a broader European endeavor to pay Moscow to bear the costs of deaths and destruction caused by its invasion. At the same time, Abramovich seeks more flexibility and wants to spend money for all victims.
British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves and Foreign Minister David Lami said in a joint statement on Tuesday that the government is ready to prosecute Abramovich.
“We are deeply frustrated by the lack of an agreement in this regard with Mr. Abramovich yet. But the door for negotiations is still open, but we are fully prepared to follow this matter through the courts if necessary, to ensure that people who suffer in Ukraine benefit from this money as soon as possible,” the statement said.
The Cooper & Kim attorney office in New York, which immediately represented Abramovich, did not respond to the request for comment.
Reuters reported last March that Britain is considering taking legal action on this case.
George Volks, a member of the Senate in Parliament who fought for the release of funds, said that the government may discuss ways to use other frozen Russian assets to help the victims if it is unable to find a legal way to resolve the dispute.
“It is a symbolic matter, and I think that if we can do so, it will form a precedent and you can look at all other money invested in real estate and banks,” he added.
Under the leadership of Abramovich, Chelsea enjoyed the most successful march in its history before being sold to an alliance led by American businessman Todd Boule, who has the support of the “Clerick Capital” group in May 2022.