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Statement from Roman Abramovich

chelseafc.com

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Re: Statement from Roman Abramovich

#11

Post by biesnecker »

dljsjr wrote: post #3

For those of us that don't follow Premier League Football, what's the context here?

Chelsea FC, one of the larger clubs in the Premiership, is owned by Roman Abramovich, one of the Russian oligarchs personally named as a target of sanctions as a result of Russia invading Ukraine. Given that, and the possibility that his assets in the UK will be seized, he's selling his stake in the club.

It would be like if the Dallas Cowboys were actually based in Moscow and the Russians had made it impossible for Jerry Jones to do business there and so he was selling his stake in the team.

Re: Statement from Roman Abramovich

#12

Post by shmatt »

giarc wrote: post #4

>Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. That's quite the statement coming from one of Russia's biggest oligarch.

The money could all be payed to families of dead Russian soldiers and still be considered going to "victims of the war in Ukraine"

Plus, I don't think Abramovich really cares of any investigative journalist finds this never came true

Re: Statement from Roman Abramovich

#13

Post by buitreVirtual »

giarc wrote: post #4

>Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. That's quite the statement coming from one of Russia's biggest oligarch.

Chelsea FC is not profitable, so what proceeds can possibly be donated? Even after winning the Champions League they lost money.

Re: Statement from Roman Abramovich

#14

Post by mongol »

giarc wrote: post #4

>Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. That's quite the statement coming from one of Russia's biggest oligarch.

It can't certainly be for all victims, since they will be in the millions if we count displaced, destroyed property, refugees etc. So it will remain to be seen who really will benefit. I think it is stealthy language

Re: Statement from Roman Abramovich

#15

Post by axiosgunnar »

> The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.

Whoever formulated this is a PR genius.

The West will read it as "the [Russian aggression] war in Ukraine".

Putin can be made believe it meant "the [Ukrainian nazi government] war in [the Donbas region of] Ukraine".

Re: Statement from Roman Abramovich

#16

Post by bufferoverflow »

shmatt wrote: post #12
giarc wrote: post #4

>Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. That's quite the statement coming from one of Russia's biggest oligarch.

The money could all be payed to families of dead Russian soldiers and still be considered going to "victims of the war in Ukraine" Plus, I don't think Abramovich really cares of any investigative journalist finds this never came true

Considered by whom?

Re: Statement from Roman Abramovich

#17

Post by davrosthedalek »

nemo44x wrote: post #7
giarc wrote: post #4

>Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. That's quite the statement coming from one of Russia's biggest oligarch.

I think it implies Ukrainian and Russian (and other!) people. It's very much not taking a stance and if anything agreeing that the war has to be done, people will unfortunately be hurt, and he plans on helping them all. But still supports the invasion.

At least he calls it a war. Something the state media in .ru is instructed not to do.

Re: Statement from Roman Abramovich

#18

Post by vernie »

nemo44x wrote: post #7
giarc wrote: post #4

>Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. That's quite the statement coming from one of Russia's biggest oligarch.

I think it implies Ukrainian and Russian (and other!) people. It's very much not taking a stance and if anything agreeing that the war has to be done, people will unfortunately be hurt, and he plans on helping them all. But still supports the invasion.

Calling it a war is already a departure from Russia's "special military operation" messaging.

Re: Statement from Roman Abramovich

#19

Post by honkycat »

This war just makes 0 sense to me.

Are things so horrible in Russia they feel they need to invade and subjugate another country?

I realize you could make the same argument for the US invasion of Afganistan, or Iraq, or many many other idiotic blunders the US political class has made to undermine the US's ability to weigh in on these sorts of situations.

I suppose the difference is that Ukraine is a healthy liberal democracy. But if you ask the people of these countries, I don't know if they would agree there is a difference at all.

Not to get hung up on the hypocrisy of the US position.

I'm more asking what Russia has to gain from this. It felt like we had a healthy trade relationship, and the Russian economy was supporting an educated middle class. What was the point of smashing all of that into pieces and destroying your country's stock market and currency?

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