British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who amended an earlier statement in parliament on Wednesday on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, made it clear that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was not subject to UK sanctions.
During the announcement of sanctions on five Russian banks and three businessmen who are considered close to President Vladimir Putin, Boris Johnson was questioned by the opposition because he did not extend these measures to so-called oligarchs.
The prime minister misrepresented that “Abramovich is already subject to sanctions,” but clarified formally this Wednesday that “Roman Abramovich was not the target of any action.”
Chelsea, the owner of the football club Chelsea, which acquired Portuguese nationality in 2021 through legislation benefiting Sebardian Jewish expulsions at the end of the 15th century, obtained an investor visa in the United Kingdom up to four years ago.
However, Abramovich holds an Israeli passport and although he cannot live or work in the UK, he can cross the border without the need for a tourist visa.
In 2018, he withdrew his request to renew his British visa due to a diplomatic dispute between the United Kingdom and Russia following a poisoning with a neurotoxic agent by former UK spy Sergei Skribal.
At the time, then-Prime Minister Theresa May had ordered a reassessment of visas issued to hundreds of “Russian oligarchs” in the country, but the “gold visa” scheme was finalized last week.
According to the Open Democracy organization, since 2015, 202 Russian billionaires on those visas have invested at least two million pounds (2.4 million euros) in British companies, benefiting more than 250 family members.
On Tuesday, the British government announced sanctions against “OliCorch” Gen. Timchenko, Boris Rottenberg and his son-in-law Igor Rottenberg, whose assets in the UK were frozen and barred from entering the country.
The bank also ordered the freezing of assets of Rosia, Black Sea Bank, IS Bank, Zenbank and Bromswiysbank and said it was ready to move forward with further financial sanctions.
Boris Johnson is under pressure from the opposition and members of his party to tighten sanctions against Russia, which on Monday recognized the two separate Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Lukansk in the Donbass region, aggravating the military situation in the region.
Moscow created the legal conditions for sending Russian troops to the area, which happened during the 2014 Ukraine invasion and annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
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