European Court Upholds EU Sanctions Against Abramovich Over Alleged Putin Ties

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) will decide on Wednesday whether to remove former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich from the European Union's sanctions list, which was imposed on him and other Russian officials following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The EU claims that Abramovich's close ties to Vladimir Putin allowed him to maintain his wealth and provide revenue to the Russian government. Abramovich has filed a case against the EU, arguing that his inclusion on the list violates his fundamental rights. He is also seeking €1 million in reputation damages to be donated to a charitable foundation for victims of conflicts. The UK government is currently working on establishing a foundation to manage the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC, which Abramovich intends to donate to benefit Ukrainians affected by the war.