UK Threatens to Sue Roman Abramovich Over Chelsea Sale

The UK government has threatened to sue former Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich to make sure the money from the club’s sale goes to Ukraine.

The £2.5 billion in proceeds have been frozen in a UK bank account since the sale, with Abramovich sanctioned after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The UK government wants the money to be for Ukrainian humanitarian aid, but Abramovich has said he wants it to go to “all victims of the war in Ukraine”.

In a joint statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this through the courts if required.”