EU spending more on Russian energy than on Ukraine aid
The EU is allocating more funds to Russian fossil fuel purchases than to providing aid to Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev, US President Donald Trump has claimed.
Following the escalation of the hostilities in 2022 and the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, the EU prioritized reducing its reliance on Russian energy. Some members voluntarily stopped importing Russian pipeline gas, while others continued buying LNG, which has only been partially targeted by sanctions.
In a Truth Social post late on Monday, Trump stated without providing any concrete figures that 'Europe has spent more money buying Russian Oil and Gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine —BY FAR!'
In an earlier post, Trump criticized European leaders for admitting that they needed US backing to continue supporting Ukraine.
According to estimates from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea), released last month on the third anniversary of the Ukraine conflict, EU member states bought €21.9 billion (over $23 billion) of Russian oil and gas in 2024 despite their efforts to reduce reliance on Russian energy.The amount is greater than the $20 billion the bloc allocated to Kiev in financial aid last year, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen has previously acknowledged that Russian energy continues to flow to the EU despite the bloc's commitment to eliminating its dependence on it.
According to data by analytics firm Kpler, imports of Russian LNG by EU member states are now at an all-time high. In the first half of 2024, Russia was the second biggest supplier of the super-chilled fuel to the bloc after the US, statistics showed. Brussels stopped short of imposing a full ban on Russian LNG in its 16th package of sanctions, imposed on Moscow last month.
In light of ongoing Ukraine peace-related negotiations between Moscow and Washington, Brussels is reportedly preparing a military aid package worth at least $6.2 billion for Kiev, which is expected to include 1.5 million artillery shells in addition to air defense systems.
On Monday, news agencies reported, citing American officials, that Trump has instructed the US Defense Department to pause all military aid to Ukraine following his public spat with Vladimir Zelensky.
Trump has repeatedly accused Zelensky of undermining his efforts to broker a peace deal between Kiev and Moscow. Their meeting in the Oval Office last Friday culminated in an unprecedented shouting match after which Trump said that the Ukrainian leader was disrespectful to the US.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Zuma criticizes Trump over genocide claims
Former president Jacob Zuma has affirmed that there is no genocide in South Africa, describing US President Donald Trump as a loudmouth who doesn't know what he is talking about. 'There is no genocide in South Africa, nothing, absolutely nothing. I take it that when people talk about genocide, it is when many people die. There is nothing of that nature in South Africa,' said Zuma during a media briefing in Durban on Tuesday. '[Trump] just talks when he wants to talk, anything. I thought he would know better what genocide is. Now, for him to say so, it's just a joke really,' he added. Zuma told journalists in a media briefing in Durban on Tuesday that Trump was the least of his concerns when he was asked about his views on the US president. 'Why should I worry myself about Trump? We have serious problems here to fix this country. No, I'm not going to talk about that,' Zuma said. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently led a South African delegation to Washington in a bid to reset bilateral relations between the two nations. This comes after organisations claimed that there was a genocide against the white Afrikaners. The government clarified to the US that there was no evidence of genocide in the country. Meanwhile, the MK Party has removed Floyd Shivambu as the secretary-general, confirming that he will be deployed in published by IOL
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Russia Today
NATO summit to avoid Ukraine membership issue
NATO leaders convening for a key summit this month will deliberately avoid discussing membership for Ukraine, AFP reported on Wednesday, citing sources. The bloc's members are reportedly wary of raising the issue due to fears it could exacerbate tensions between the EU and US. Members of the US-led military bloc are highly likely to 'steer clear of its previous strong statements that Ukraine is on course to join the alliance' when the summit takes place in The Hague in late June, the agency said. One diplomatic source told AFP that the final declaration is expected to omit any mention of Ukrainian membership to maintain unity among member states. 'There will be nothing on that,' a NATO diplomat said. 'My expectation is we will be absolutely silent.' US President Donald Trump has expressed firm opposition to Ukraine's bid to join NATO. In February, he suggested that Ukraine 'can forget about NATO,' adding that Kiev's bid was 'probably the reason the whole thing started,' referring to the conflict with Russia. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is still expected to be present at the summit, but any formal talks between the bloc and Kiev are unlikely, AFP said. 'It will be a PR disaster if he's not there,' another diplomat told the agency. While NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has insisted that Ukraine remains a priority issue at the summit, AFP sources have painted a different picture. They suggested that the overwhelming emphasis will be on trying to satisfy Trump's demands that member states drastically ramp up their defense spending. It 'is the most important part and no one wants to jeopardize that,' the agency's source said. Russia has stated that NATO membership for Ukraine is a red line and one of the key reasons for the conflict, insisting that Ukraine adopt a neutral status as a key condition for a lasting peace. While Trump administration officials have described NATO membership as 'a bridge too far,' Kiev has refused to commit to neutrality or to refraining from hosting foreign troops on its soil, which Moscow also considers to be a red line.
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Man arrested in EU state for providing Russian TV access
Latvian police have arrested a man accused of providing access to banned Russian television channels to more than 400 households across the country, according to local media reports. The 42-year-old technician is reportedly suspected of setting up a system that bypassed content protection technologies, allowing viewers to watch banned Russian channels that supposedly spread propaganda. The man allegedly created a scheme to share television signal access cards, enabling multiple households to use a single valid code, reported on Tuesday. The arrest took place at the end of May following a State Police investigation. If convicted, the suspect could face up to three years in prison, community service, or a fine. The European Commission barred several Russia-linked media outlets from operating in EU member states after the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022, accusing them of spreading propaganda. Sharing content from these outlets is also prohibited under EU law. Latvia, a former Soviet republic, has ramped up efforts to limit Russian influence, aligning closely with neighbors Estonia and Lithuania. All three Baltic states, which are among Kiev's strongest backers, have introduced broad restrictions on Russian nationals, including travel bans and mandatory language tests. In February, the Latvian parliament gave initial approval to a draft law that would prohibit citizens of Russia from acquiring real estate in the country. Russia has criticized the measures as part of an information war and accused the Baltic states of stifling dissent and discriminating against its Russian-speaking minorities. Ethnic Russians account for roughly a quarter of Latvia's 1.8 million population, according to official data. Latvia has seen a rise in arrests linked to providing access to Russian media. In April 2024, police raided border areas to block the broadcast of banned Russian channels. In November, another man was detained for installing equipment that enabled access to prohibited content for around 130 households. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently accused the Latvian authorities of 'blatant discrimination against Russians,' claiming many of their policies were openly Russophobic. She said anti-Russian sentiment had 'reached a new high' in the Baltics in recent years and warned that Latvia in particular could be brought to account at the International Court of Justice if it continued such practices.
