Abramovich promised to help “all the victims of the war in Ukraine” after he put Chelsea up for sale last year. Photo: Martin Meissner/AP
The person, speaking on condition of anonymity, added: “I know that on state visits the Israelis have asked the UK, since Roman is such a large donor in Israel, whether they would consider licensing some or his assets, and not just at Chelsea. which will be donated to the reconstruction of Israel.”
The funds were to be earmarked for humanitarian spending in southern Israel. “As far as I understand, the UK government has firmly said no to Israel,” the source added.
Before sanctions were imposed last year, Abramovich's ties to Israel had become increasingly close. One of the projects signed before Russia's war with Ukraine was to finance the planting of a forest in southern Israel dedicated to Lithuanian Jews who were victims of the Holocaust.
Information about the Abramovich family in Lithuania is ambiguous. However, it is known that his parents and relatives were originally from this country, but left for Siberia during the Soviet occupation in 1941.
The largest single humanitarian donation in history
A sudden proposal to use Chelsea funds for unrelated purposes. Ukraine illustrates how far the government is from signing the largest humanitarian donation in history.
Although the sale of the club is entirely under UK jurisdiction, ministers signed a unilateral declaration with the European Commission in May stating that the money would be spent “solely” in Ukraine. The move has puzzled the humanitarian sector as Mike Penrose, the former chief executive of UNICEF UK, was brought in to set up the independent fund on the basis that the funds would be spent on «Ukraine and its aftermath».
Penrose took over legal obligations to ensure the money does not fall back into Abramovich's hands. The government will have input on the board of directors, and Jan Egeland, a senior Norwegian diplomat who once advised Kofi Annan at the United Nations, has been appointed interim chairman of the fund.
However, the recent appointment of Lord Cameron as Foreign Secretary has led to renewed efforts to allocate funds in accordance with the Penrose Plan. “A unilateral declaration can be revoked at any time,” Penrose explained. “This is a former prime minister who raised Britain's profile in humanitarian work. Its partnerships in the past have made the UK arguably the leading humanitarian country on the planet. I look forward to speaking with him when he returns from his first trips and really hope he has the vision to make it all work.”
This call was echoed by James Deneslow, Group Head of conflict at Save the Children, who told Telegraph Sport: “With a new foreign secretary, we will continue to advocate for this huge amount of money authorized to be used to support the humanitarian impact of the war in Ukraine.
“As we have argued, funds must be released and made available to all victims of the war in Ukraine — regardless of whether they are within Ukraine's geographic borders, supporting Ukrainian refugees in Europe or funding food programs in East Africa, where food insecurity is exacerbated by the war «.
The license issued by the UK government, which determines the next stage of the process, expires on November 30. It has been extended by joint agreement in the past and will almost certainly be extended again.
Penrose said he had yet to speak directly with Cameron since he was appointed foreign secretary, but a meeting would be arranged in the coming weeks.
Disagreement over the goals of the fund arose even before the sale of Chelsea to a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boeli, which was completed on May 30 last year. Sources close to the process said Abramovich had signed an agreement with the government stating that the charity would focus on «Ukraine and the consequences for Ukraine.»
However, in a unilateral statement, the government said in the past year: “The Treasury will only issue a license that guarantees that such proceeds will be used exclusively for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine.” Saleh Said of the Emergency Situations Committee also supported Penrose's position that humanitarian needs extend beyond Ukraine.
Kate Cavaliere, 44, has been hosting a Ukrainian family at her home for 15 months. England have also called on Cameron to intervene.
The government rejects any suggestion it was sitting on the money, with multiple sources telling Telegraph Sport they believe it was an agreement from the outset to spend money only inside Ukraine . One insider familiar with the talks said they believed it was unlikely Cameron would take the government's new position, insisting «this money was always meant for Ukraine.»
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