EU slapping Russian-Israeli Abramovich, other oligarchs with more sanctions

The European Union is to sanction Roman Abramovich and other oligarchs, in its latest round of punishment of Russians seen as supporting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, three diplomats told AFP on Monday.

The Russian-Israeli billionaire owner of the Chelsea football club and the others are being added to a list of individuals whose assets in the EU — including superyachts and mansions — can be seized and entry into the bloc refused, the diplomats said.

They are part of a fourth round of EU sanctions against Russia announced  Monday. Details regarding the sanctions and targeted individuals were set to be published in the EU’s journal.

The EU’s move follows those of Britain and Canada, which last week put Abramovich on their own sanctions lists. London’s decision put Abramovich’s hastily attempted sale of Chelsea — announced March 2 — on ice.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Monday that Chelsea fans must stop the “completely inappropriate” chanting of Abramovich’s name during games.

The club’s supporters expressed their backing for Abramovich during Sunday’s home victory against Newcastle, after he was sanctioned by the British government.

“We recognize the strength of feeling around people’s clubs but that does not excuse behavior which is completely inappropriate at this time,” the spokesman said.

“I think people can show passion and support for their club without resorting to that sort of stuff,” he added.

According to one EU diplomat, the stated reason for sanctioning Abramovich was because he “is a Russian oligarch who has long and close ties to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin,” to whom he has “privileged access.”

He is seen as providing “a substantial source of revenue” to Russia’s government.

Over the weekend, Abramovich’s 140-meter-long (460-foot-long) superyacht Solaris was spotted arriving at a port in Montenegro, which is not part of the EU, but has ambitions to join it. The vessel left the Spanish port of Barcelona days earlier.

On Monday, a jet suspected of being used by the billionaire left Israel for Istanbul, according to a Reuters report, a day after landing at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

Israel has said it will prevent Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the US from keeping their planes and yachts in Israel, but is unable to stop Abramovich from entering the country.

Abramovich, 55, has a fortune worth $12.4 billion (11.3 billion euros), according to Forbes magazine, and is rumored to own half a dozen yachts. In addition to his Israeli citizenship, he has also acquired Portuguese nationality.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen last Friday, after an EU summit in France, heralded the latest round of sanctions agreed on with partner nations, saying it will “further isolate Russia and drain the resources it uses to finance this barbaric war.”

Her trade commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, said on Monday: “There’s no one untouchable as you’ll see.”

“This list of oligarchs is continuously being expanded — not only oligarchs, (but) also high level… state and military officials of Russia,” Dombrovskis said.

He added that Russians deemed to be “actively involved in Russia’s propaganda machine” were also on the list.

The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said during a visit to North Macedonia that “this will be another major blow” to Russia’s economy.

Russia’s gross domestic product is forecast to shrink dramatically under the successive rounds of sanctions imposed by the EU, the US and their allies, which target the Russian central bank and companies including airlines.