Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

EU paid Russia $16 billion for fossil fuels since the start of Ukraine war

EU paid Russia $16 billion for fossil fuels since the start of Ukraine war

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has paid over $16 billion (€15 billion) to Moscow for fossil fuel imports.
More than $5 million was paid for oil imports, around $9.5 million spent on gas, and over $385 million went to coal imports.

The data has been shared by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organization, currently tracking how much money is still flowing from the EU's finances into the Kremlin's pockets.

To estimate the volume of fossil fuel shipments from Russia to Europe, CREA looked at the aggregate cargo capacity of ships leaving Russian ports towards EU ports, and combined that with data on reported import volume and prices (based on average value and historic prices).

"As you can see from the breakdown, gas is still the number one (import), then comes oil and then comes coal," said Lauri Myllvirta, Lead Analyst, CREA. "For both oil and coal, the shipments have fallen after the outbreak of the war [but] gas has actually increased."

Europe's dependence on Russia to keep its economy running and its homes warm has been harshly criticized since Russian troops started building up at the border of Ukraine before the start of the full-scale invasion of February 24.

According to the latest data available from the European Commission, in 2019 Europe relied on Russia for 41.1 percent of its gas imports, 46.7 percent of its solid fuels imports, and 26.9 percent of its crude oil imports.

Last year, when the first signs of tension at the Ukraine-Russia border were emerging, the EU imported 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia, almost half of its total gas imports, according to the International Energy Agency.

This dependency on Russia has not only given Vladimir Putin dangerous leverage over Europe, but also allowed the Kremlin to finance its campaign in Ukraine, as many have denounced. It is estimated that half of the Russian budget comes from fossil fuel exports.

Before the war, the EU was thought to be paying over $1.1 billion a day into this budget, thanks to its energy imports.

The EU has recently announced a plan to scale back its dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports while at the same time supporting its own Green Deal.

On March 8, the European Commission presented a proposal to cut its gas imports from Russia by two thirds before the end of 2022 on the way to become completely independent from Russian fossil fuels "well before" 2030.

"We simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us," said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "We need to act now to mitigate the impact of rising energy prices, diversify our gas supply for next winter, and accelerate the clean energy transition."

The way to achieve this ambitious goal, according to the EU plan, is to ensure gas supply security through diversifying its sources and speed up the roll-out of renewable energies to replace fossil fuels.

The EU proposal doesn't say much about how to decrease its reliance on Russian oil and coal, but a more detailed proposal is expected to follow up in May.

It's unlikely that the EU will be able to implement its plan this year.

European countries have been so far reluctant to give up Russian fossil fuels completely, fearing disastrous economic consequences, the severity of which Europeans are already getting a taste of with gas prices surging and roaring inflation.

According to the data collected by CREA, European money is still funding Putin's troops, tanks and private jets devastating Ukraine.

"What we have here, it's that the EU has put in place an ambitious plan to reduce and eliminate imports over the next years," said Myllvirta. "But in the immediate short term, their imports haven't been affected by these plans, and because of the high prices (of gas) the flow of money has in fact increased."

CREA is calling for an embargo on oil imports, which they see as the most realistic change to implement right now. "All European countries and the other OECD countries have strategic oil reserves, which correspond to 90 days of consumption," Myllvirta said.

"And since less than a quarter of Europe's oil comes from Russia, that means that we could in principle cover up for the oil imports for a full year."

Stopping gas imports from Russia right now, between the bloc's structural dependence on Russian supplies and gas storage level being so low, would be much harder for Europe, Myllvirta added.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
×