Zelensky suggests Britain buy air defense for Ukraine with Abramovichʼs money from “Chelsea” sale

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that Britain use $3.3 billion from the sale of the “Chelsea” football club to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich for air defense for Ukraine.

The president said this in an interview with The Guardian.

Zelensky said the funds could help finance the purchase of additional air defense and missile defense systems, including American-made ones. He noted that Ukrainian and British diplomats are already discussing the issue, although the process remains complex.

In addition, Zelensky mentioned in the interview a meeting with Abramovich in Kyiv regarding peace talks. The president joked that Abramovich did not bring the money for the sale of “Chelsea” with him when they met last month.

“I said, ʼWe need your money,’” Zelensky said.

The president also announced that Ukraine, together with Great Britain, is working on creating a European anti-ballistic missile system. According to him, such a project would be important for both Ukraine and the British side.

Abramovichʼs proceeds from the sale of Chelsea

Roman Abramovich, who also holds Israeli and Portuguese citizenship, is the former owner of English football club “Chelsea". Forbes estimates his fortune at $9.2 billion.

In 2022, Abramovich was sanctioned for Russiaʼs war against Ukraine, so that same year Abramovich sold “Chelsea” FC to avoid the sanctions that awaited the oligarch himself. American billionaire Todd Boley paid £2.5 billion for the club.

Abramovich “wanted the proceeds to be donated to a charitable foundation for the needs of victims in Russia and Ukraine”. Instead, the British government planned to transfer the money only to the newly created Fund for the Assistance of Victims of the War in Ukraine. Since then, the money has been stuck: Britain has not allowed the funds from the sale of “Chelsea” to be spent outside Ukraine.

In 2025, Britain said it wanted to unfreeze the funds from the sale of “Chelsea” and give them to Ukraine. On December 17, the country issued a license to transfer more than $3.3 billion and said that if Abramovich did not agree to the offer, the British government would go to court. In response, the oligarch hired lawyers to block the transfer of funds, The Times reported.

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