Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the link between Roman Abramovich and Vladimir Putin is enough to justify the Chelsea owner being sanctioned.
It was confirmed earlier today (Thursday) that Abramovich has had all of his UK assets frozen, including Chelsea, which has sparked uncertainty at the west London club.
The 55-year-old billionaire vehemently denies any direct links to Putin amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
However, Johnson has now claimed there is enough of a link between them to warrant the UK freezing his assets on Thursday morning.
"We've got to be very, very careful in the way we approach these things. The rights of property is something that UK law takes very seriously and needs to go through due process," the Prime Minister said, via Sky Sports.
"From Tuesday, we are speeding it up on the new Economic Crime Bill so it will go even faster, but you've got to have clear evidence that people are connected to the Putin regime - that has been established. That is why we're going ahead with the sanctions that we are.
"There is enough connection, enough of a link between the Putin regime and the individuals in question to justify the action."
Chelsea confirmed the sanctions in a statement earlier this afternoon and the club revealed they are now in talks with the UK government over the next step in the complicated process.
The statement read: "Chelsea Football Club has been advised that its owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government.
"By virtue of his 100 per cent ownership of Chelsea FC plc and affiliated entities, Chelsea FC would normally be subject to the same sanctions regime as Mr Abramovich. However, the UK Government has issued a general licence that permits Chelsea FC to continue certain activities.
"We will fulfil our men’s and women’s team fixtures today against Norwich and West Ham, respectively, and intend to engage in discussions with the UK Government regarding the scope of the licence.
"This will include seeking permission for the licence to be amended in order to allow the Club to operate as normal as possible.
"We will also be seeking guidance from the UK Government on the impact of these measures on the Chelsea Foundation and its important work in our communities."
