The British Government plans to sue Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire to recover $ 3.2 billion, received from the sale of Chelsea football club, and direct these funds for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. About it reports The Guardian.
Abramovich sold a club in May 2022 by a consortium, led by American investor Todd Boella after falling under the sanctions of the United Kingdom and the European Union because of close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, more than three years of sales revenue remained frozen in the UK's bank account and could not be used without the separate permission of the Treasury.
The UK government insisted that these funds should be used to assist Ukraine in connection with a full -scale invasion of Russia. For a long time, the government tried to reach Abramovich's agreement on targeted use of money, but the parties did not agree.
The Treasury Chancellor Rachel Rivz and Foreign Minister David Lemmy emphasized that the government was deeply disappointed with the absence of agreements and reported its intention to proceed through court. At the same time, they noted that the negotiations remain open.
Thus, the British government is trying to legalize $ 3.2 billion legally to support humanitarian projects in Ukraine affected by the war. This decision is part of the wider policy of sanctions and pressure on persons related to the Russian leadership.