The United Kingdom has asked Russian businessman Roman Abramovich to hand over £2.5 billion from the Chelsea FC sale for onward donation to Ukraine.
A consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired Chelsea FC in May 2022 for a reported £4.25 billion after Abramovich sold the club he purchased for £140 million in 2003.
The UK government reminded Abramovich that he pledged to do so over three years ago, threatening to take him to court, if necessary, to enforce the agreement.
The license to allow transfer of the money was issued on Wednesday as Britain moved to fulfill its vow to use seized Russian assets to benefit Ukrainians suffering Russia’s invasion.
The UK had sanctioned Abramovich due to his ties with President Vladimir Putin, freezing the multi-billion-pound proceeds from Chelsea’s sale in a UK bank account since 2022.
The authorities are, however, willing to consider any proposal from him to voluntarily donate the earnings to the most vulnerable in Ukraine, in line with the terms of the document.
Speaking on the new action, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the clock is ticking on Abramovich to implement the commitment he made to fund a humanitarian cause for Ukraine.
The PM declared the government’s readiness to enforce it through the courts “so that every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putin’s illegal war”.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper noted that it’s high time the money was used to rebuild the lives of people who have witnessed “devastation” as a result of the conflict.
On Thursday, the UK reiterated its concern at Russia’s campaign against Ukraine, the sharp rise in civilian casualties, and widespread destruction of critical infrastructure.
Speaking in Vienna, UK Ambassador to the OSCE, Neil Holland, cited the latest report from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR, on Russia’s continued use of explosive weapons.
According to ODIHR’s findings, from June to November 2025, verified deaths in Ukrainian government-controlled areas increased by 40 percent compared to the previous six months.
The report also details attacks on humanitarian operations, torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and sexual violence allegedly perpetrated by Russian authorities.
Holland said for the first time, ODIHR documented evidence of female detainees “being coerced by detention facility administration into sexual acts in exchange for food and cigarettes.”
The diplomat also condemned the “continued unlawful detention” of OSCE SMM staff Vadym Golda, Maxim Petrov, and Dmytro Shabanov, and asked the Russian authorities to release them.
Holland stressed that the path to peace requires Russia to stop attacks, respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, end deportations and confinements, and fully comply with international law.
Ukraine: UK demands Abramovich surrender £2.5bn from Chelsea sale
