FT called the reasons for the delay in the transfer of money from the sale of Chelsea – Kommersant

The transfer of money from the fund to help victims of the conflict in Ukraine is delayed due to disputes over how to spend the funds, reports Financial Times (FT) citing sources. The fund was created with the proceeds of Roman Abramovich from the sale of the Chelsea football club £2.3 billion.

According to the FT, the British government insists that money be spent only within Ukraine. However, the fund wants to help those affected, including those outside the country. According to the publication, the head of the fund, Mike Penrose, also intends to provide assistance to other countries affected by food shortages due to the military conflict.

Mr. Penrose himself told the FT that initially the funding will be for Ukraine, and most of it is expected to be spent domestically. “If we support a Ukrainian child in Ukraine today, then according to the conditions that the government wants to establish (Great Britain.— “b”), we will have to stop supporting the minute he leaves Ukraine,” he explained.

Another FT source claims that Mr. Abramovich himself contributes to the delay in the receipt of funds, who wants part of the money to be spent on people outside Ukraine, including “victims of food shortages.” However, the British authorities do not want to create a precedent that will allow those under the sanctions “flexibly dispose of how such money is spent,” the source added.

Daily Mail informedthat Roman Abramovich insists that part of the funds should also be sent to the victims in Russia. The British government and the European Commission are not ready to approve the intentions of Mr. Abramovich. According to one of the sources of the publication, the British authorities hope that the billionaire’s funds will arrive in Ukraine before the onset of winter, but there are no guarantees that this will happen.

Details – in the material “Kommersant” “I have money, but you hold on”.

Laura Keffer