EU has imported €209bn of Russian fuel since start of the war

The EU and Ukraine’s Western allies have paid more to Russia for its fuel than they’ve provided in aid to Ukraine. Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air shows Russia earned over $233 billion from fossil fuel exports to EU countries between February 2022 and February 2025. In contrast, total aid allocated to Ukraine during the same period amounted to $73 billion. What’s more, in the past year alone, Europe’s gas imports from Russia rose by up to 20%, with LNG exports hitting record highs. Our guest Anne-Sophie Corbeau is a Global Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.