The UK government is ready to sue Roman Abramovich, former Chelsea's football club owner to achieve the transfer of funds from the club for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine. It is £ 2.5 billion, frozen after a businessman has been sanctioned because of Russia's full -scale war against Ukraine.
Abramovich sold Chelsea in 2022, but the proceeds are still blocked in the British account. The reason is sanctions against the Russian oligarch, which, according to the Western governments, has close ties with the Kremlin.
Although Abramovich himself stated that money should go to the help of "all victims of war in Ukraine", the British authorities insist on directing the entire amount exclusively on the humanitarian needs of Ukrainians.
In a joint statement, the Treasury Chancellor Rachel Rivz and Foreign Minister David Lemmy emphasize:
"The negotiation doors remain open, but we are ready to seek this in court if required. We want to ensure that people suffering from Ukraine are able to use these funds as soon as possible."
Legal confrontation can be a precedent for the use of frozen Russian assets in favor of aggression victims. Meanwhile, the question remains open: will Britain be able to force his obligations to Ukraine through court - and will this amount be the next hostage of political auction?
