Starve the people, miss the point: The cruel logic of sanctions
RTMAY 16
UK Threatens to Sue Abramovich Over Frozen $3.4B From Chelsea FC Sale
Above: Roman Abramovich attends a signature ceremony of an initiative on the safe transportation of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, in Istanbul, on July 22, 2022. Image copyright: OZAN KOSE/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
Abramovich’s claim that frozen assets should benefit all those affected by the war ignores the clear purpose of U.K. sanctions: to hold him accountable and ensure funds support Ukraine’s recovery directly. Allowing Abramovich to dictate where money earned on British soil ends up would risk letting oligarchs dodge responsibility and undermine efforts to punish those enabling Putin’s aggression.
Pro-Russia narrative
Forcing Abramovich to sell Chelsea, then threatening legal action unless he donates the proceeds only to Ukrainian victims, exposes the moral incoherence of Western sanctions. These measures rarely hurt elites, fail to shift policy, and instead punish civilians, turning diplomacy into selective and ideological retribution.