According to analysts of the Top Lead information portal, EU countries continue to buy fuel from the aggressor country Russia and helped the Kremlin finance the criminal war against Ukraine for the next year and a half.
Points of attention
- EU countries continue to buy fuel from Russia, contributing to financing the criminal war against Ukraine, with a total amount spent reaching $204 billion as of October 19, 2024.
- Germany tops the list by transferring 28.7 billion euros to Russia, followed by Italy and the Netherlands, highlighting the significant financial support for the ongoing war.
- In 2023, despite an EU ban on Russian oil, Russia earned a billion euros from selling energy resources to the EU through a loophole, allowing for the purchase of approximately 35 million barrels of refined fuel, mainly diesel.
- The impact of these transactions raises concerns about indirectly supporting Russia's military actions in Ukraine, as the earnings from fuel sales are equivalent to funds used for military equipment such as Iranian-made drones.
- The findings emphasize the need for stricter regulations and transparency in EU energy trade to prevent unintended financing of conflicts and human rights violations.
What is known about Russia’s income from fuel sales to the EU
It is noted that after the large-scale invasion of the criminal army of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, the EU countries, although they began to reduce their dependence on Russian energy, continue to purchase it.
Thus, as of October 19, 2024, the total amount of funds spent by EU countries on the purchase of Russian fuel is $204 billion.
At the same time, the daily expenses of the aggressor country for the war against Ukraine amount to 36.6 million euros.
Germany spent the most on purchasing Russian fuel, transferring a total of 28.7 billion euros to Russia or financing 79 days of waging a criminal war against Ukraine.
It is followed by Italy, which spent 19.3 billion euros on the purchase of Russian energy resources, thus paying for 53 days of the criminal war.
The third city is the Netherlands, which paid 18.8 billion euros for Russian energy, thus paying for the criminal war against Russia against Ukraine for another 53 days.
The TOP 5 also included countries such as Hungary and France, which paid Russia 17.5 and 15.8 billion euros, respectively, paying for 48 and 44 days of war.
In addition, the top ten included:
Belgium — 41 days;
Slovakia — 32;
Greece — 31;
Poland — 30;
Spain — 29.
How much did Russia earn from selling energy to the EU last year?
For information According to journalists from the Politico publication, during 2023 Russia earned a billion euros from the sale of energy resources to EU countries.
A simple loophole in the EU's ban on Russian oil allowed Moscow fuel to enter the bloc through foreign refineries.
In 2023, the EU bought approximately 35 million barrels of refined fuel — mostly diesel — at least partly from Russia, according to an analysis by the non-governmental organization Global Witness. These purchases were allowed because of a large and now well-known loophole: despite the EU ban on almost all imports of Russian oil, countries can still legally buy Moscow crude as long as it is first processed into fuel elsewhere, the publication notes.
The amount is 1 billion euros, which is equivalent to the cost of about 60 thousand Iranian-made Shahed drones, which Moscow often uses to bomb Ukrainian cities.
