Wed, 17 Dec 2025

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 Starmer tells Abramovich to 'pay up now' or face court

The Prime Minister said Roman Abramovich should make good on his pledge that money from the sale of Chelsea FC would go to benefit Ukrainians
The UK government is demanding that Roman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, release £2.5bn in funds meant for Ukrainian war victims. Abramovich had pledged in 2022 to use the money from the sale of the club to benefit those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, a delay has occurred due to a dispute over how the funds should be used, with Abramovich insisting they should be used for all victims of the war, including Russians. The UK government wants the money to go towards humanitarian aid in Ukraine, but Abramovich's representatives have declined to comment. The Treasury has confirmed that under the terms of a licence issued by the UK, the money must be used for humanitarian causes and cannot benefit Abramovich or any other sanctioned individual. If Abramovich does not release the funds within 90 days, the UK will consider taking legal action against him. The government's threat comes as EU leaders are set to review proposals to use proceeds from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's budget and defence needs.
  >>