In the first half of 2025, Taiwan became the world's largest importer of Russian oil — it paid Putin's regime billions of dollars, which were used to finance the war against Ukraine.
Points of attention
- The revenue generated from Taiwan's oil imports is reportedly sufficient to produce a significant number of drones used in military operations against Ukraine, raising ethical concerns about indirect support for aggression.
- The case of Taiwan exemplifies the intricate dynamics of international relations, where economic interests sometimes collide with political stances, leading to complex moral dilemmas.
Taiwan only imitates pro-Ukrainian position
It is this country that has repeatedly publicly stated its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Moreover, official Taipei joined international sanctions against the aggressor country.
However, even this did not prevent him from actively buying Russian “black gold”.
This was noted by analysts from the Center for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA), the Taiwanese non-profit organization Environmental Rights Foundation (ERF), the German Ecodefense, and the international human rights organization Urgewald.
According to official data, in the first half of this year, Taiwan imported Russian oil worth $1.3 billion, becoming its main buyer on the international stage.
In addition, it is noted that the average monthly volume of imports has increased almost sixfold compared to 2022.
In total, these purchases brought $1.7 billion to the Russian budget in the form of taxes on mineral extraction.
What is important to understand is that this amount is enough to finance the production of 170,000 Gerber-type drones, which the aggressor country uses daily to attack Ukraine.
