A boat belonging to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich arrived in a port in Turkey that did not comply with the European sanctions imposed on Moscow, which affected the owner of the Chelsea football club and other wealthy people close to the Kremlin.
As part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to push for an invasion of Ukraine, European sanctions are affecting the assets of rich Russians.
Abramovich was among those added to the EU list of sanctions approved last week.
The 140-meter-long “Solaris” boat was seen flying the Bermuda flag off the southwestern Turkish resort port, more than a week after it was spotted in port in Montenegro, which is not part of the European Union.
Turkey, a member of NATO, has strong ties with Russia and Ukraine and has not joined the sanctions targeting Moscow.
Western nations, including the United States and the European Union, have imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, affecting the wealthy and other people close to Putin.
Boats belonging to wealthy Russians were confiscated in various countries, while President Joe Biden promised Russian financiers to confiscate their “boats, luxury apartments and private jets.”
Britain froze Abramovich’s property, which owns another large boat, the 162-meter “Eclipse”, and imposed a travel ban on him.
The 55-year-old billionaire, who bought Chelsea in 2003, has denied reports that he bought the London Football Club on Putin’s instructions, with the aim of expanding Russia’s influence abroad in the early 2000s.
Turkey considered the Russian invasion of Ukraine “unacceptable” and presented itself as a mediator to end the war.
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