LONDON

The British government has threatened to take former Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich to court to seize the proceeds of his Chelsea FC sale, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Chancellor Rachel Reeves expressed that they want to ensure people suffering in Ukraine can benefit from the sale of Chelsea FC "as soon as possible."

"While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this through the courts if required," they said as reported by the BBC.

In March 2022, Chelsea was seized from Abramovich after sanctions were imposed by the British government.

The £2.5 billion (nearly $3.4 billion) in proceeds have been frozen in a UK bank account since then, with the Russian businessman sanctioned after the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.

Lammy and Reeves added: "The government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine, following Russia's illegal full-scale invasion."

"We are deeply frustrated that it has not been possible to reach agreement on this with Mr Abramovich so far," added the statement.

When Abramovich announced his decision to sell the club, he said proceeds from the sale would be donated "for the benefit of all victims of the (Ukraine) war."

However, the UK government has insisted that the funds should only be spent on humanitarian efforts inside Ukraine.