EU spent more on Russian energy than on aid to Ukraine in 2024 - report 24 February 2025

The European Union has bought 21.9 billion euros worth of Russian oil and gas, according to the Center for Research on Energyand Clean Air (Crea - Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air), UNN reports.

Details

Despite a series of sanctions and the threat posed by dependence on Russian energy resources, in the third year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU's imports of Russian fossil fuels, in particular, remain largely unchanged

According to analysts' estimates by Crea, these imports amount to 21.9 billion euros, which is 6% less in value terms, but only 1% less in physical terms, according to the conclusion by the Center for Energy Studies.

Notably, in the third year of the invasion, imports of Russian fossil fuels from the EU exceeded €18.7 billion in financial aid that the EU sent to Ukraine in 2024.

Vaibhav Raghunandan, Crea analyst and co-author of the report, said:

Buying Russian fossil fuels is clearly tantamount to providing financial assistance to the Kremlin and facilitating its invasion

Addendum

Russia's total global profit from fossil fuels in the third year of the invasion also reached 242 billion euros and has totaled 847 billion euros since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

We also note:

According to Crea, during the week of February 10-16, 2025, Russia exported fossil fuels worth €5.17 billion: €2.07 billion worth of oil, €1.63 billion worth of petroleum products and chemicals, €1.16 billion worth of gas, and €0.31 billion worth of coal.

Recall

Russia uses more than 1000 vessels to circumvent sanctions, which is 17% of the world's oil tanker fleet. The shadow fleet has brought Russia more profit than Ukraine has received in international aid since the beginning of the war.

The EU has announced the adoption of the 16th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation. The package includes economic and individual restrictive measures.