Since the beginning of the invasion in 2022, the European Union has purchased more goods from Russia than it has provided to Ukraine in the form of financial, military, and humanitarian support. The Swedish Foreign Minister speaks of a “negative support for Ukraine”, and the analysis of official data shows that European imports – especially oil and gas – still exceed the amounts allocated to Kiev, writes Euronews.
The Swedish Foreign Minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, stated in a viral post that European countries have supported Ukraine with “187 billion euros”. At the same time, she said, “we have imported Russian oil and gas worth 201 billion euros”, and if other imports are included, “the total reaches 311 billion”. The Minister explained in Brussels that this imbalance represents “a negative support for Ukraine of 124 billion euros.
To verify these claims, data from Eurostat, European institutions, and independent organizations were analyzed. The results show that, although EU imports from Russia have massively decreased after the imposition of sanctions, they continue to be substantial. Eurostat indicates a reduction of approximately 89% since the beginning of the invasion, but not all types of imports have been banned.
Details, HERE