Russian oligarch says money is his to allocate despite international sanctions imposed on his assets
The Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has stepped up his row with the British government over the £2.5bn proceeds of his sale of Chelsea FC, insisting that the money is his to allocate despite the international sanctions imposed on his assets.
The UK and EU imposed sanctions on Abramovich in 2022, freezing his assets in response to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, citing his ties to Vladimir Putin’s regime.
The move triggered a rushed sale of the Premier League club to a consortium led by US businessman Todd Boehly.
However, the £2.5bn raised by the sale has remained locked in a UK bank account since then because of a dispute about how it should be used.
