Trade between the EU and Russia has collapsed to a historic low – SZR
Kyiv • UNN
Mutual trade between the European Union and Russia has decreased by 5.4 times compared to the period before the full-scale invasion. Russia has lost its status as a key partner of Europe, and its share in European imports has fallen to 1.0%.
According to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, mutual trade between the European Union and Russia has decreased 5.4 times compared to the period before the full-scale invasion. The Russian Federation has effectively lost its status as a key partner of Europe, and its share in European imports has fallen from 9.2% to a critical 1.0%. This is reported by UNN.
Details
The biggest blow fell on Russian energy exports – if previously the EU's deficit in trade with the Russian Federation reached tens of billions of euros, now Europe has recorded a surplus of 1.5 billion euros.
Supplies of goods from Russia collapsed by 90%, which indicates the successful search for alternative markets by EU countries. Moscow no longer has leverage through energy blackmail, and its revenues from the European direction continue to steadily decrease.
In the period from the first quarter of 2022 to the fourth quarter of 2025, EU exports to the Russian Federation decreased by 61%, while imports from the Russian Federation collapsed by 90%. Russia's share in the structure of the European Union's external supplies decreased from 3.2% to 1.2%, and in imports – from 9.2% to 1.0%. Thus, Russia has effectively lost its status as one of the key trading partners of a united Europe
Technological degradation and isolation of the Russian economy
Currently, trade is maintained only within humanitarian exceptions, such as pharmaceuticals, or for items that have not yet been sanctioned. The loss of access to European technologies and investments deprives Russia of the opportunity to modernize its industry in the long term.
For Ukraine, this process is strategically important, as it systematically drains financial resources that the aggressor could direct to continue the war.
The loss of civilized sales markets, reduced access to European technologies, investments, and financial infrastructure are gradually narrowing the possibilities for modernization and long-term development of the Russian economy