Europe continues to finance the Kremlin through the purchase of energy resources, - The Guardian.

The EU spent more on Russian energy resources than on aid to Ukraine

According to a new study, the European Union spent 21.9 billion euros on Russian energy resources in 2024, exceeding the 18.7 billion euros in financial aid provided to Ukraine.

This was reported by The Guardian, citing a report from the Centre for Energy and Clean Air Research (Crea), timed to the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Researchers note that despite stated efforts to reduce energy dependence on the Russian Federation, European countries continue to buy significant volumes of oil and gas, thus financing the Russian war machine. In 2024, the EU's spending on Russian fossil fuels exceeded the amount of financial aid to Ukraine by 39%, not counting military and humanitarian support.

«Purchasing Russian fossil fuels, quite obviously, resembles providing financial assistance to the Kremlin and facilitating its invasion. This practice must be immediately stopped to ensure not only Ukraine's future but also the energy security of Europe,» emphasized Crea analyst and co-author of the report Vaibhav Raghunandan.

In preparing the study, experts collected trade data for the past year of the war, including forecasts for February 2025, based on January imports. The overall picture points to ongoing substantial energy ties between Europe and Russia, despite numerous sanction packages.

Economist at the Institute of World Economy in Kiel Christoph Trebes noted that support for Ukraine from European donors remains low compared to past military conflicts, averaging less than 0.1% of GDP each year.