Through all the threats to sue by Sir Keir Starmer’s government, Roman Abramovich has stayed silent and still sanctioned.
The Russian’s approval is needed to release the funds of the Chelsea sale to help the victims of the war in Ukraine.
And the pressure – raised through the year and ratcheted up on Wednesday from Westminster – has not seen him give any indication about complying with the government’s demands.
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As someone who rarely spoke publicly during his 19 years owning Chelsea, being largely quiet since being forced to sell up in 2022 after being sanctioned over his alleged links to Vladimir Putin is not unusual.
Especially when speaking out could be risky for him and his family.
Mr Abramovich has never condemned Russia’s war on Ukraine or called for it to end – and he has never supported it publicly.
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There has only been an attempt to link him to peace talks early in the all-out war in 2022, while Turkey is reported to be one of his preferred bases.
Wednesday’s government news release was headlined: “Government gives Abramovich final chance to pay £2.5bn to Ukraine or risk court action.”
But delayed accounts for Chelsea’s former parent company from the Abramovich era were recently released, indicating he might not want to release all the sale proceeds, and there is actually £2.35bn in frozen funds.
There is not the same assurance from a 2022 statement on Chelsea’s website, which said: “I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid.”
In fact, it says he would “gift the net proceeds of sale, after allowing for other balance sheet items”.
The accounts show there are £1.54bn of loans owed by the Fordstam former Chelsea parent company to Mr Abramovich’s companies.
If they were to be repaid, there would be £923m for humanitarian causes.
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But when Sky News asked about this, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “It’s clear that £2.5bn of the proceeds from the sale … was the commitment that was made as part of the agreement at that time.”
While Mr Abramovich has always said “all victims of the war in Ukraine”, the government says it will only consider a proposal to send the cash to “the most vulnerable in Ukraine”.
But the government does now say: “Any future gains earned by the foundation can be spent more broadly on victims of conflict worldwide.”
Could that provide leeway for Russians to eventually benefit from the funds or, even potentially, another cause, the victims of another conflict?
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We cannot ask Mr Abramovich questions about the fate of the funds, and his most recently named lawyers did not respond to emails requesting comment.
There are notable unresolved issues impacting any sanctioned Russian oligarchs.
Will the government be able to maintain sanctions if there is a Ukraine peace deal?
And if Mr Abramovich fends off legal action long enough, could he eventually be able to spend the Chelsea funds as he wishes and be more associated with the benevolence?
