European Union nations have escalated their import of liquefied pure gasoline (LNG) from Russia regardless of the continued battle in Ukraine. This surge comes as a contradiction to the EU’s acknowledged goal of lowering reliance on Russian fossil fuels within the coming years.
From January to July 2023, European Union nations bought 22 million cubic meters of LNG, which is a 40% enhance in comparison with 15 million cubic meters throughout the identical interval in 2021. This implies they purchased extra pure gasoline from Russia. The estimated value of those purchases for 2023 is round €5.29 billion in keeping with calculations by World Witness.
Picture Supply: CREA
Hypocrisy of Europe sanctions
The European Union has already imposed sanctions on the import of Russian coal and seaborne oil. India, China and Türkiye have been known as out for getting Russian oil and to have blood on their arms. Nonetheless, it’s necessary to notice that Russian LNG and gasoline don’t at the moment fall beneath these EU sanctions which is being purchased at a 40% enhance, thus, the hypocrisy of EU sanctions in clear mild.
At the moment, Spain has grow to be the second-largest international purchaser of Russian LNG, carefully adopted by Belgium. In 2023, Spain acquired 18% of Russia’s total gross sales, whereas Belgium secured 17%. Notably, China accounted for 20% of the purchases throughout the identical interval.
“Shopping for Russian gasoline has the identical affect as shopping for Russian oil.” Acknowledged by Jonathan Noronha-Gant, senior campaigner at World Witness.
Noronha Gant additional stated that buying Russian gasoline holds equal penalties as buying Russian oil. Each contribute to financing the battle in Ukraine, with each euro translating to additional violence. Regardless of European nations condemning the conflict, their monetary transactions are basically supporting Putin’s pursuits. These international locations must synchronize their actions with their declarations by prohibiting the commerce of Russian LNG, which not solely sustains the battle but in addition exacerbates the local weather disaster.
