Here are the countries buying the most Russian fossil fuels (i.e. funding the Kremlin) since the invasion of Ukraine began. Check out how many are EU nations.
· Mar 7, 2023 · NottheBee.com

Russia still making a killing on fossil fuel exports a year after their invasion of Ukraine began.

According to estimates from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Russia has made over $315 billion in revenue from fossil fuel exports worldwide since its initial invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

And despite all the rah-rah and Ukraine flags flying in Twitter profiles, nearly half of Russia's oil, natural gas, and coal revenue is still coming from EU nations – to the tune of $149 billion in the past year.

So who's still buying all of it? Here's a chart from Visual Capitalist:

Click to enlarge

China has (unsurprisingly) been the top buyer, importing mostly crude oil, which made up more than 80% of its imports, totaling over $55 billion. But the EU's largest economy, Germany, comes in at number two, at over $25 billion, with natural gas imports alone totaling over $12 billion. What's up Germany?

And check out our virtuous friends the Netherlands, clocking in at almost $20 billion.

Then Italy at $15 billion.

Et tu, Poland, France, and Belgium? Over $10 billion each?

Yes, EU countries have been "curtailing" their Russian fossil fuel imports since the war began, but holy moly, it's been a year and the Kremlin is still counting their cash.

And even before the war began ... why were so many EU countries sending their "enemy" Vlad Putin so much money in the first place?


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