Britain has threatened to take former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to court over the frozen £2.5 billion ($3.4bn) in proceeds from his sale of the football club that he wanted to go to victims of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Britain sanctioned Abramovich in a crackdown on Russian oligarchs after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, triggering a rushed sale of the Premier League club and freezing of the proceeds.

Britain wants the funds spent only in Ukraine in line with a wider European push for Moscow to foot the bill for the deaths and destruction triggered by its invasion. Abramovich is seeking more flexibility and wants the money to go to all victims.

In a rare joint statement, British finance minister Rachel Reeves and foreign minister David Lammy said on Tuesday the governme

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