How does the West help Russia to finance its war on Ukraine

Russia has continued to achieve billions of fossil fuel exports to the West, as data appears, which helps to finance its invasion on a large scale for Ukraine-now in its fourth year.

Since the beginning of this invasion in February 2022, Russia has achieved more than three times the money by exporting the hydrocarbons that Ukraine received in the assistance allocated by its allies.

The data analyzed by the BBC appears that Western Ukraine allies pushed Russia more for its hydrocarbons more than they gave Ukraine to help.

Activists say that governments in Europe and North America need to do more to prevent Russian oil and gas from fueling the war with Ukraine.

Oil and gas revenues are the key to maintaining a war machine in Russia.

Oil and gas represent nearly a third of the state’s revenues in Russia and more than 60 % of its exports.

In the aftermath of the invasion of February 2022, Ukraine allies imposed sanctions on Russian hydrocarbons. The United States and the United Kingdom have banned Russian oil and gas, while the European Union has banned Russian -transported crude imports, but not gas.

Nevertheless, by May 29, Russia has achieved more than 883 billion euros (973 billion dollars; 740 billion pounds) in the revenue of fossil fuel exports since the beginning of the full invasion, including 228 billion euros of sanctions countries, According to the Crea and Air Search Research Center (CREA).

Assad’s share of this amount, 209 billion euros, came from the European Union member states.

The European Union states continued to import the pipeline gas directly from Russia until Ukraine reduced the transit in January 2025, and Russian crude oil is still hidden to Hungary and Slovakia.

Russian gas is still covered with pipes to Europe in increasing quantities through Türkiye: Crea data shows that its size rose by 26.77 % in January and February 2025 during the same period in 2024.

Hungary and Slovakia still receive the Russian pipeline via Türkiye.

Despite the efforts of the West, in 2024, Russian revenues of fossil fuels decreased by only 5 % compared to 2023, along with a similar 6 % decrease in export sizes, According to Krai. Last year also witnessed a 6 % increase in Russian revenue from crude oil exports, and an annual increase in pipeline gas revenue.

Russian gas exports say to Europe It increased by up to 20 % In 2024, with LNG exports (LNG) reach record levels. Currently, half of LNG exports in Russia go to the European Union.

The head of the European Union’s foreign policy, Kaja Calas, says that the coalition did not impose “the strongest sanctions” on Russian oil and gas because some member states fear an escalation in the conflict and because its purchase is “cheaper in the short term.”

LNG imports were not included in the latest seventeenth sanctions package on Russia, which was approved by the European Union, however I adopted a road map Towards the end of all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027.

The data indicates that Russia’s money from selling fossil fuels has continued to constantly exceed the amount of aid that Ukraine receives from its allies.

Thirst for fuel can hinder West’s efforts to reduce Russia’s ability to finance its war.

Mai Rosner, a major activist of the global pressure group of the pressure group, says many Western policy makers fear that Russian fuel imports will lead to high energy prices.

“There is no real desire for many governments to reduce Russia’s ability to produce and sell oil,” she told the BBC.

In addition to direct sales, some of Russia’s oil expires in the West after its processing in fuel products in the third countries through what is known as the “Refining Higge”. Sometimes it is diluted with raw from other countries as well.

Crea says it has identified three “laundry refineries” in Türkiye and three in India and is treating Russian crude and selling the resulting fuel to the punishment countries. She says they used 6.1 billion euros of Russian crude to make products for the punishment of countries.

Ministry of Petroleum in India Check Caria’s report As “a deceptive effort to distort the image of India.”

“(These countries) know that the countries are the punishment ready to accept this. This is a loophole. It’s completely legal. Everyone is aware of it, but no one does a lot to address this greatly,” says Vaibhav Raghunandan, Crea analyst.

Activists and experts argue that Western governments have the tools and means available to stop the flow of oil and gas revenues in Kremlin.

According to former Russian Energy Minister Vladimir Milov, who is now a similar opponent in Vladimir Putin, the sanctions imposed on trade in Russian hydrocarbons should be enforced better – especially the maximum price of the oil price adopted by the G7 group of nations, which Mr. Milov says, “Mr. Milov says”Not“.

However, he is afraid that the United States government launched by President Donald Trump will hinder agencies such as the US Treasury or the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), which is the key to enforcement of sanctions.

Another means is the constant pressure on Russia.Shadow FleetOne of the tankers participating in evading penalties.

“This is a complex surgery,” Milov says. According to him, this is a field that Western governments were more effective, especially with The introduction of new penalties By the outgoing Joe Biden administration in January 2025.

May says that the prohibition of Russian LNG exports to Europe and the closure of the refining loophole in the western states will be “important steps in completing the separation of the West of Russian hydrocarbons.”

According to Mr. Raghunandan from Crea, it will be relatively easy for the European Union to abandon the imports of Russian LNG.

“Fifty percent of LNG exports are directed to the European Union, and only 5 % of the total gas consumption in the European Union (LNG) in 2024 from Russia. So if the European Union decides to cut Russian gas completely, it will harm Russia more, it will harm consumers in the European Union.”

Experts who were interviewed by BBC refused Donald Trump’s idea The war with Ukraine will end if OPEC decreases oil prices.

“People in Moscow laugh at this idea, because the party that will suffer more than others … is the American rock oil industry, and the lowest cost oil industry in the world,” Milov told the BBC.

Mr. Raghunandan says that the cost of crude Russia production is less than OPEC, such as Saudi Arabia, so it will be hurt due to low oil prices before Russia.

He says: “There is no way that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia agrees on this. It has been tried before. This has led to the conflict between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States.”

Ms. Rosner says there are moral and practical issues with Western purchase to buy Russian hydrocarbons while supporting Ukraine.

“We now have a position in which we are financing the aggressor in the war of condemning it, as well as financing the resistance of the war,” she says. “This dependence on fossil fuels means that we are really on the whims of the energy markets, global energy producers and anti -dictators.”