by Lord Cameron is under pressure to finally scrap a deal with Europe amid growing anger that £2.34bn of “world-changing” funds from the sale of Chelsea FC are still in limbo after 18 months.
Roman Abramovich first pledged proceeds to “all victims of the Ukrainian war” after putting Chelsea up for sale on March 2 last year, eight days before he imposed sanctions over alleged links to Vladimir Putin.
However, as previously reported by Telegraph Sport, the huge fund remains untouched in a frozen account since the sale of the club, partly due to a “bureaucratic quagmire” between the government and Europe.
Despite the club being sold entirely under UK jurisdiction, ministers signed a unilateral declaration in May with the European Commission saying the money would be spent “exclusively” within Ukraine.
However, Cameron’s appointment as Foreign Secretary has led to renewed efforts to release the funds, with calls coming from Save the Children and Mike Penrose, the former chief executive of Unicef UK who was set to launch the proposed independent foundation. at the end. money.
After months of frustration, Penrose says he hopes former Prime Minister Cameron’s “bold” return to front-bench politics could lead to a long-awaited breakthrough.
“The unilateral declaration can be withdrawn at any time,” Penrose explained. “This is a former Prime Minister who increased Britain’s position in terms of humanitarian work. Because of its past partnerships, Britain is probably the leading humanitarian nation on the planet. I look forward to speaking with him when he returns from his first tour, and I am hopeful that he will have the vision to make this work.”
That call was backed by James Deneslow, head of conflict team at Save the Children, who told Telegraph Sport: “With a new Foreign Secretary in place, we will continue to advocate for this massive amount of approved funding to be used to support the humanitarian impact the war in Ukraine.
“As we have seen, the funds must be released and should be made available to all victims of the war in Ukraine – be it within the geographical borders of Ukraine, supporting Ukrainian refugees in Europe or funding food program in East Africa, where there is food insecurity. made worse by the war.”
‘Status, understanding and experience’
Penrose has made legal commitments to ensure the money cannot fall back into Abramovich’s hands. The Government will have board input and Jan Egeland, a senior diplomat from Norway who once advised Kofi Annan at the United Nations, has joined as interim chairman.
In recent weeks, Number 10 has discussed the possibility of “disabling” the Human Rights Act for an emergency bill in an attempt to force plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Penrose, who had previously dealt with James Cleverly, compared that situation to the dilemma facing Cameron. “I go back to the Government and say ‘if the EU does not agree with you on this, you have the right to have moral courage and push back on the EU’,” Penrose added. “The right thing to do is to help Ukrainians everywhere and everyone affected by the war, including their host families in the UK.”
The license granted by the UK government which sets out the next step in this process will expire on 30 November. This has been extended by mutual agreement in the past and is all but certain to be extended again.
Penrose says he has yet to deal directly with Cameron since he became Foreign Secretary, but a meeting will be arranged in the coming weeks.
“Having worked with people who have worked with him before and knowing his legacy, I am confident that someone of his stature, understanding and experience will see the opportunity this presents to make Britain a leader in aid humanitarian,” Penrose said.
“I think he will understand the issue of breaking the deed of the business and why it’s the right thing to do – we can help people in the UK, we can help refugees in Moldova and Poland, it’s we can help people who are starving to death. of the Ukrainian grain breaks. Not just people in Ukraine.”
Progress remains elusive despite British families hosting refugees from Ukraine launching a petition urging the Prime Minister to “break the political deadlock”.
Over the summer, Action Against Hunger joined Oxfam, Save the Children and many organizations on the ground in Ukraine to criticize government delays.
The difference of opinion regarding the foundation’s objectives stems back to before the sale of Chelsea to a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly was completed on May 30 last year. Sources close to the process said Abramovich had signed a deed of commitment to the Government stating that the charity would be for “Ukraine and the consequences of Ukraine”.
However, in a unilateral declaration, the Government said last year: “The Treasury will only issue a license ensuring that such proceeds are used for humanitarian purposes only in Ukraine.” Saleh Saeed, from the Disaster Emergency Committee, also supported Penrose’s position that the humanitarian need extends beyond Ukraine’s borders.
Kate Cavalier, 44, who has hosted a Ukrainian family for 15 months in her home in England, also appealed to Cameron to intervene.
“The UK has welcomed many Ukrainian families since the war started,” she said. “I am so proud that our country has sheltered and cared for over 160,000 Ukrainians fleeing the war – mostly women and children. However, many of their friends and family have not been so lucky and humanitarian support is urgently needed as the war enters its second winter.
“This money could make a big difference, but instead it’s still tied up in bureaucracy, stuck in an approved bank account. I would ask Lord Cameron to use his political experience to break through this bureaucracy; to release these approved funds and create a humanitarian foundation that the UK can be proud of.”
The Government rejects any suggestion it is sitting on the money, and multiple sources have told Telegraph Sport they believe it was agreed from the start to only spend the money inside Ukraine. An insider with knowledge of talks said they thought Cameron was unlikely to take a new Government position, arguing that “this money was always meant for Ukraine”.
The release of the funds would require Abramovich’s approval in accordance with those terms.
