Volodymyr Zelensky talked about his idea in an interview with The Guardian during his stay in London, after meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He told the British daily that he “pressured Starmer regarding funds from the sale of Chelsea FC by Roman Abramovich” so that they could be used to strengthen Ukrainian air defense.
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Volodymyr Zelensky: it is in the interests of Great Britain
The Chelsea club had been in the hands of Russian Roman Abramovich since 2003. It was sold after the Russian oligarch was placed under sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Since then, an amount of £2.4 billion has been frozen in a UK bank account. From the beginning, it was intended to support Ukrainians. Now Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated the possible specific purpose of the money.
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As the President of Ukraine said in an interview with “The Guardian”, in his opinion, the transfer of funds from the sale of Chelsea could help finance air defense systems to shoot down Russian missiles that often hit Ukraine's energy infrastructure. He allegedly mentioned it during a meeting with Keir Starmer. — The Prime Minister told me he is doing everything he can, and I know our diplomatic teams are talking about it. This is a difficult moment, Zelensky told The Guardian.
He also joked that Roman Abramovich did not bring money with him when they met in Kiev last month, but he was supposed to raise this topic in a conversation with the oligarch. He added that he had asked Starmer and EU allies for additional help to “close the skies” against Russian attacks, as well as for funds to transfer the Ukrainian military to professional contracts. This would replace forced conscription.
— The British helped us from the very beginning of this war, that's true. It's a matter of safety, not just value. But it's about security in Europe. This is in the interests of Great Britain, emphasized the President of Ukraine.
