UK Demands Roman Abramovich Transfer £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds to Ukraine | 2025 Breaking News

UK Tells Roman Abramovich to Transfer £2.5bn From Chelsea Sale to Ukraine or Face Court

On 17 December 2025, the United Kingdom government issued a firm ultimatum to Russian‑born billionaire Roman Abramovich, demanding that he transfer £2.5 billion — the proceeds from the 2022 sale of Chelsea Football Club — to a humanitarian fund for Ukraine or face legal action in court.

The highly anticipated announcement came after years of delay and negotiations over how the frozen funds should be used. The money — equivalent to about $3.33 billion — has remained frozen in a UK bank account under sanctions tied to Abramovich’s close connections with the Kremlin following Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed in the House of Commons that the government will issue a formal license permitting the transfer of the frozen proceeds, but only if Abramovich honors his prior commitment to dedicate those funds exclusively to humanitarian aid for Ukrainian civilians affected by the ongoing war. Starmer warned that if Abramovich fails to act within the required time frame, the government is prepared to pursue court action to enforce the move and ensure every penny reaches those in need.

Starmer told lawmakers that “the clock is ticking,” urging Abramovich to honor the promise made when the sale was approved in 2022. The original sale was allowed under strict conditions that the proceeds benefit Ukraine’s war victims and not the oligarch or his business interests. Despite this pledge, bureaucratic disagreements and negotiations over how the funds would be distributed have stalled progress for more than three years, frustrating British officials and humanitarian advocates.

The government’s decision formally designates a new independent foundation to manage and disburse the funds directly to essential humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. The focus will be on aiding civilians displaced by the conflict, supporting medical care, shelter, food supplies, and reconstruction efforts. The license to transfer the funds will be issued by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), which controls access to frozen assets under UK sanctions law.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and senior UK politician David Lammy have echoed Starmer’s stance, condemning the prolonged freeze of the funds as “unacceptable” and emphasizing the urgency of getting financial assistance to Ukrainians suffering from the effects of Russia’s illegal war. Reeves stressed that the money must be distributed swiftly to ease the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Abramovich had previously suggested that the funds could support all victims of the war, a broader category that could include people outside Ukraine. However, the UK government has insisted that all funds should be dedicated solely to humanitarian relief within Ukraine, reinforcing its stance that the original agreement must be strictly honored in line with international legal obligations.

Amid international pressure on Russia and its affiliates to pay for war damages, the UK’s move also aligns with broader Western efforts to leverage frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine’s defense and recovery. European partners continue discussions on using other frozen assets in support of Ukrainian reconstruction and humanitarian causes.

If Abramovich fails to comply, the UK government is prepared to take the matter to the British courts, where judges could enforce the transfer of the funds. This would be a significant legal precedent in holding wealthy sanctioned individuals accountable for humanitarian commitments linked to geopolitical conflict.

In summary, the 17 December 2025 ultimatum from the UK government to Roman Abramovich — to either transfer the £2.5 billion from the Chelsea sale to Ukraine or face court enforcement — is a major development in the ongoing effort to ensure that frozen Russian‑linked assets provide direct relief to those affected by the war in Ukraine.