Vladimir Zelenskyy, in an exclusive interview with the British publication The Guardian, commented on the situation surrounding the funds raised by Roman Abramovich from the sale of the Chelsea football club. During the conversation, the President of Ukraine confirmed that the topic of using the frozen assets of the Russian businessman for the country's defense needs was indeed discussed.
Personal Meeting and the Question of Finances
Journalists noted Roman Abramovich's recent visit to Kyiv. During the conversation with Zelenskyy, the question of the fate of the funds from the sale of Chelsea was raised — we are talking about a sum of about 2.5 billion pounds sterling, which are currently in accounts in the United Kingdom. The President of Ukraine did not deny the fact of discussing the need for these resources.
"I said that we need your money... I don't remember [the details], but I don't want to lie," Zelenskyy stated in the video material.
Priority: Procurement of Air Defense and the "Pearl" Program
The key argument in favor of using these funds was the high cost of modern defense systems. Zelenskyy emphasized that under current conditions, it is critically important for Ukraine to strengthen its air defense system. In particular, this refers to the procurement of anti-ballistic missiles through the "Pearl" program in the United States.
"They are very expensive: 3–4 million for one missile. And that is very expensive. And, of course, this money can help," the head of state noted.
Logic of Justice and Diplomatic Contacts
The President of Ukraine formulated a simple logic: since Russia started the war, using Russian money to stop it seems fair. At the same time, Zelenskyy reported that he is in constant contact with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the diplomatic teams of the two countries regularly hold negotiations on this issue.
At the moment, no official comments have been received from representatives of Roman Abramovich, as well as the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States, regarding the status of frozen funds and the implementation of defense programs.