UK labour asks Boris Johnson why he has not sanctioned Roman Abramovich yet
Johnson’s Conservative government has come under fire after the UK lagged the US and EU in targeting individuals with links to Vladimir Putin
The UK could take weeks or months to potentially sanction Roman Abramovich and other wealthy Russians because officials have been unable to build a watertight case against them, a person familiar with the matter said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure from the opposition Labour Party to sanction Abramovich, a billionaire who owns London’s Chelsea Football Club. Johnson’s Conservative government has come under fire after the UK lagged the US and EU in targeting individuals with links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The UK has sanctioned more than 100 Russian individuals and entities in response to the invasion of Ukraine, including at least nine wealthy individuals. But there’s frustration among MPs of all political stripes that more haven’t been targeted. The Times earlier reported the potential lag in sanctioning tycoons.
Abramovich made his fortune from dividends and sales of privatised assets acquired from the former Soviet Union, and now has Israeli citizenship. On Wednesday, he said he was selling Chelsea and had instructed the board to set up a charitable foundation that would get all net proceeds from the sale.
Labour leader Keir Starmer on Wednesday asked Johnson in the House of Commons why he had not imposed sanctions on Abramovich. Johnson said it wasn’t “appropriate” to comment on individuals.
Another person familiar with the matter said the government was considering emergency legislation to speed up its sanctions response.
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