Sir Keir Starmer has warned Roman Abramovich that “the clock is ticking” for him to donate the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC to Ukraine.
The Prime Minister told MPs on Wednesday that ministers have issued a licence allowing the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea to be transferred to a new foundation for humanitarian causes in Ukraine.
He said: “My message to Abramovich is this: the clock is ticking.
“Honour the commitment you made and pay up now, and if you don’t, we are prepared to go to court so every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putin’s illegal war.”
Mr Abramovich sold the club in May 2022 after he was sanctioned following Vladimir Putin’s invasion earlier that year.
The oligarch had pledged to donate the proceeds from the sale to the people of Ukraine, but he has so far failed to reach an agreement with the Government on a way forward and the funds remain frozen.
Wednesday’s decision to grant a licence for the transfer is an effort to force Mr Abramovich to fulfil his promise before the Government resorts to legal action.