Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been described as a kleptocrat who must face sanctions in parliament after prime minister Boris Johnson announced that the assets of three Russian oligarchs and five banks will be frozen following the escalation of tensions in Ukraine.
Dame Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP for Barking, named the West London club’s owner and former Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov among a group who should be considered as “kleptocrats who have stolen from the Russian people” and face penalties with president Vladimir Putin on the brink of a full scale invasion.
In response Johnson said that the sanctions announced today are “just part of the first barrage”and “Abramovich is already facing sanctions.”
But that was immediately pointed out as false by opposition MP Chris Bryant and Johnson is now expected to correct the record to reflect that.
Neither Abramovich nor Usmanov are on the government’s publicly-available sanctions list.
The prime minister added that “we will be able to sanction oligarchs, associates of Putin and companies of strategic importance to the Kremlin”.
A spokesperson for Abramovich was contacted for comment following Johnson’s claim.
It is unclear how any future sanctions that could be imposed on Abramovich would impact Chelsea.
Meanwhile, UEFA are holding discussions over whether to move this season’s Champions League final from St Petersburg. Last week the governing body said that it was monitoring the escalation of tension but the latest escalation makes a relocation likely.
There is a possibility that the governing body will confirm the game, due to be played on May 28, will be taken from Russia without a replacement venue being named until the spring, as there is a will for the showpiece to be held in a neutral stadium that would not favour one club.
The UK government has already called on the game to be moved from St Petersburg.
An official said: "We will not allow President Putin to exploit sporting and cultural events on the world stage to legitimise his renewed illegal invasion of Ukraine."
