Starmer Demands Abramovich Hand Over £2.5 Billion Chelsea Sale Funds to Ukraine

By Francis Onyach - Reporter

Kenya, 18 December 2025 - Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been urged by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to transfer the £2.5 billion proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, intensifying pressure to resolve a long-running impasse over the frozen funds.

The money, generated from Abramovich’s sale of Chelsea in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has remained locked in a UK bank account due to sanctions imposed on the Russian billionaire. While Abramovich has previously stated that the funds should be used for humanitarian causes related to the war, disagreements over how and where the money should be distributed have delayed its release.

Speaking on the issue, Sir Keir Starmer called for urgent action, stressing that the funds should reach those affected by the conflict without further delay. The Prime Minister emphasised that the UK government expects the money to be used strictly for humanitarian purposes, in line with the conditions under which the sale was approved.

“The people of Ukraine continue to suffer,” Starmer said, underscoring that the prolonged standoff over the funds is unacceptable given the scale of the humanitarian crisis.

UK officials have maintained that Abramovich must agree to legal guarantees ensuring the money benefits Ukraine directly, rather than being distributed more broadly or in a way that could breach sanctions regulations. The government has repeatedly stated that it is ready to facilitate the transfer once those assurances are in place.

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Abramovich, who the UK sanctioned in March 2022 due to alleged links to the Kremlin, claims he has denied, has not publicly responded to the Prime Minister’s latest comments. His representatives have previously insisted that he intends the funds to help victims of the war, but negotiations over the mechanism for distribution have stalled.

The renewed intervention from Starmer signals a tougher stance from the new government and increases pressure for a resolution, as campaigners and Ukrainian leaders continue to call for the release of one of the largest single humanitarian sums linked to the conflict.