President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he raised the issue of transferring funds to Ukraine from the sale of Football Club by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which could be used, in particular, to strengthen air defense.
In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, Zelenskyy noted that he discussed with Starmer the fate of GBP 2.4 billion received from the sale of the club, which the British government plans to direct to Ukraine's humanitarian needs.
"The prime minister told me that he’s trying his best, and I know that our diplomatic teams speak about it, and of course, it’s difficult moment. We need more security, and we are trying, through the Purl programme, to buy antiballistic missiles from the United States," the president said.
Zelenskyy said these funds could help Ukraine acquire additional anti-missile defense systems from the United States.
"They are very expensive, and of course this money can help, and it’s fair between us. So Russia began this war. Why not use Russian money?" he emphasized.
The president also reported that during negotiations with Starmer and other allies, he called for increased assistance to protect the Ukrainian sky from Russian attacks and to finance professional contract service in the Ukrainian army.
In addition, Zelenskyy underscored the importance of further investments by allies in their own defense and declared Ukraine's readiness to share the technological and military experience gained during the war with partners.
"It’s very important to invest not only in military, to invest in Ukrainian military … because of this war, we have such experience. There is no price of this experience. It’s not about money, it’s about people’s lives. We will share this priceless information and experience with our allies," he said.
As reported, the legal team of Roman Abramovich notified the UK government that the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea in 2022 "fully" belong to him and he is ready to fight any attempts to confiscate these funds, The Athletic reported.
