Roman Abramovich is being given what amounts to a final warning from Britain's prime minister. Keir Starmer told Parliament that the UK has now authorized the transfer of $3.3 billion from the 2022 sale of Chelsea Football Club and demanded that the Russian oligarch follow through on his earlier pledge to direct the proceeds to people harmed by Russia's war in Ukraine, per the BBC. "The clock is ticking," Starmer said, warning that if the sanctioned oligarch doesn't "honor the commitment that you made and pay up now," the government is ready to take him to court to ensure "every penny" goes to those affected by the conflict.
"This government is prepared to enforce it through the courts," Starmer said, per the AP. The money has sat in a frozen UK bank account since Abramovich sold Chelsea under a special license granted after Russia's full-scale invasion, per the BBC. That license requires that he not profit from the sale. Treasury officials say the cash must go to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine and can't benefit other sanctioned figures, either, in addition to Abramovich.
The holdup stems from a dispute over who should qualify as a beneficiary. While the UK wants the money channeled specifically into Ukrainian humanitarian aid, Abramovich has pushed for it to go to "all victims of the war in Ukraine," a broader pool that could include Russians as well, per the Guardian. Abramovich, who built his fortune in oil and gas and has been accused of close ties to Vladimir Putin—allegations he denies—remains the legal owner of the proceeds, but he's barred from accessing them under the UK's sanctions, per the BBC. The government first floated legal action against him in June.
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