Three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, EU countries are still sending billions to Moscow for oil and gas.
The EU spent 21.9 billion Euro on Russian fossil fuels last year. That’s actually more than the 18.7 billion Euro it sent to Ukraine in financial aid, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Back in early 2021, nearly 30 percent of oil in the EU came from Russia. By mid-2025, it was just 2 percent thanks to an EU ban on Russian oil.
But there are exceptions. Hungary, Slovakia, and until recently the Czech Republic were allowed to keep importing.
The Czechs cut ties this year, but Hungary and Slovakia say that it’s too expensive to switch even though Croatia has offered to supply them with oil via the Adria pipeline and that costs would decrease with higher volumes.
The EU has announced plans to ban all Russian gas and oil imports by 2028. That means: no new contracts after 2026, short-term contracts ending that June, and long-term contracts banned from 2028. Hungary and Slovakia would be included in the ban under this proposal.
But these measures still require approval from the European Parliament and by at least 15 of the 27 EU member states representing 65 percent of the bloc’s population.
Watch our video above to find out more.