The former owner of the English "Chelsea", the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, refuses to sign an agreement on the transfer of funds from the sale of the football club to Ukraine.
This is reported by the Daily Mail.
Abramovich wants part of the money to go to victims from Russia, but the British government and the European Commission oppose it.
Currently, the £2.3 billion that Abramovich made from the sale of Chelsea remains in a frozen bank account in Great Britain. The Daily Mail says the money transfer process could now take at least until September.
"It was hoped the money was going to be transferred last summer, then we hoped for developments in January. Now we hope money will start arriving in Ukraine before harsh winter conditions set in again towards the end of the year, but there are currently no guarantees that will happen," the anonymous source of the publication emphasized.
- Last year, Abramovich sold FC "Chelsea" so that the team would not fall under the sanctions that awaited the oligarch himself. American billionaire Todd Boley paid £2.5 billion for the club, leaving £2.3 billion ($2.9 billion) after transaction costs.
- During the sale, Abramovichʼs press service reported that he "wanted the proceeds to be transferred to a charity fund for the needs of victims from Russia and Ukraine." Instead, the British government plans to transfer this money only to the newly created fund to help victims of the war in Ukraine.