(Paris) Russia earned 93 billion euros in revenue from fossil fuel exports during the first 100 days of its war against Ukraine, the majority of which went to the EU, according to the report of a independent research center published Monday, and which particularly pinpoints France.
Posted at 7:11 p.m.
This publication from the Center for research on energy and clean Air (CREA), based in Finland, comes as Ukraine urges Westerners to cut off all trade with Russia to stop feeding the Kremlin’s war chest.
The European Union recently decided on a gradual embargo – with exceptions – on its oil imports. Russian gas, on which it is very dependent, is not currently concerned.
According to the CREA, the EU accounted for 61% of fossil imports, or approximately 57 billion euros, over the first 100 days of the war (February 24-June 3). The biggest importers were China (12.6 billion euros), Germany (12.1 billion) and Italy (7.8 billion).
Russia’s revenues come first from the sale of crude oil (46 billion), followed by gas transported by gas pipelines (24 billion), then petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and finally coal.
The manna has not dried up, even if exports fell in May and Russia is forced to sell at rock bottom prices on international markets. Despite this rebate, the country still benefited from the global rise in energy prices.
While some countries have made significant efforts to reduce their imports (Poland, Finland, Baltic States), others have on the contrary increased their purchases: China, India, United Arab Emirates or… France, according to the CREA.
“While the EU is considering stricter sanctions against Russia, France has increased its imports, to become the largest buyer of Russian LNG in the world”, underlines Lauri Myllyvirta, analyst of the CREA.
These are also cash purchases and not under long-term contracts, which means that France knowingly decided to use Russian energy despite the invasion of Ukraine, estimates the specialist.
“France must align its actions with its words: if it truly supports Ukraine, it must immediately put in place an embargo on Russian fossil fuels and quickly develop clean energies and energy efficiency solutions”, judge-t. -he.