European states bought over €1.2 Billion worth of fossil fuels - in April 2025
While Europe talks tough on sanctions, there is a dark side to States continuing to fund the war by refusing to give up dependency on Russian fossil fuels - 3 years into the genocidal war.
Europe is still importing over €1 billion of russian fossil fuels per month, as reflected in the April 2025 CREA report. This is being used to dung the genocidal invasion of Ukraine.
All the tough talking on sanctions and even the 17th package of sanctions - do not absolve EU States from the egregious duplicity by the likes of France, Spain, Belgium, Hungary and Slovakia.
April 2025 - fossil fuel imports from Russia:
👉 In April, the five largest EU importers of Russian fossil fuels paid EUR 1.2 bn. The EU does not sanction natural gas, which accounts for over 70% of these imports and is mainly delivered by pipeline or as liquefied gas.
The rest was mostly crude oil, which continues to flow to Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline under an EU exemption.
👉 Hungary was the largest importer, purchasing EUR 373 mn of Russian fossil fuels in April. These included crude oil (EUR 197 mn) and gas via pipeline (EUR 176 mn).
👉 France was the second-largest importer of Russian fossil fuels within the EU. Its imports, which included Russian LNG, totaled EUR 371 mn. However, the fact that this gas is imported via France does not necessarily mean it is consumed there. A recent study indicates that some Russian LNG entering France through the Dunkerque terminal is delivered to Germany.
👉 Slovakia, the third-largest buyer within the EU, imported Russian fossil fuels worth EUR 209 mn. 61% of Slovakia’s imports were Russian crude oil, valued at EUR 155 mn and the remaining portion of fossil fuel was pipeline gas, valued at EUR 54 mn. Russian crude oil is refined into oil products and re-exported to Czechia.
This is being allowed to continue because Slovakia’s exemption from the ban on exporting oil products made from Russian crude, which ended in December 2024, has been extended until June 2025.
👉 Belgium was the fourth-highest importer within the EU, purchasing explicitly Russian LNG valued at EUR 175 mn.
👉 Spain exclusively imported LNG valued at EUR 144 mn.
Russia’s fossil fuel export revenues have fallen since the sanctions were implemented, subsequently constricting Putin’s ability to fund the war. However, much more should be done to limit Russia’s export earnings and constrict the funding of the Kremlin’s war chest.
This includes lowering the oil price cap, increasing monitoring and enforcement of sanctions, and banning unsanctioned fossil fuels such as LNG and pipeline fuels that are legally allowed into the EU.
References and sources:
https://www.bondbeterleefmilieu.be/artikel/report-bumper-year-russian-lng-eu-abetted-germany
https://ceenergynews.com/oil-gas/slovnaft-can-continue-its-export-to-czechia/
Beefy, I know that since the start of the full scale invasion you've regularly spoken about Europe's continuing addiction to russian fossil fuels. These fuel exports represent a significant proportion of russia's economy and is used to fund their war machine. It rather makes a mockery of "we stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes"