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Since the start of the war in Ukraine more than three years ago, the EU has adopted numerous sanctions packages against Russia. However, trade between the country and EU member states still continues.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently announced that she wants to accelerate the ban on oil and gas imports. Other sanctions are being prepared.
But who still continues to buy oil and gas from Russia? And which goods are traded most often?
Who continues to buy oil and gas from Russia?
According to the German Institute for Economic Research (IW), EU member states imported goods from Russia worth 8.7 billion euros in the first quarter of 2025. For comparison: in the first quarter of 2021 the value was 30.6 billion euros, while in the same period of 2022 it was even 63 billion euros. “The reason was the significant increase in oil and gas prices,” explains IW foreign trade expert Samina Sultan.
Many EU countries no longer import fossil fuels from Russia – with a few exceptions (notably Hungary and Slovakia, but also France and Spain).
According to IW, natural gas imports into the EU were 4.4 billion euros in the first quarter of 2025. At the same time, natural gas imports are more than half reduced compared to 2021.
As for oil, the value of trade was still 1.4 billion euros – a drop of almost 93%! However, gas and oil still remain among the five most imported goods.
Most wanted goods:
Fertilizers: Because they are relatively cheap and have not been affected by sanctions or tariffs so far, the share of imports has remained almost unchanged. In the first quarter of 2025, 549.95 million euros were spent on imports from EU countries to Russia.
Iron and steel: 725 million euros were imported, mainly from Italy, Belgium and the Czech Republic.
Nickel: Imported with a value of 261 million euros.
Trade continues in the opposite direction as well
However, trade also works from the EU to Russia. “The EU imports slightly more than it exports,” explains economist Sultan. In the first quarter of 2025, goods worth 7.9 billion euros were sent to Russia, mainly cars and pharmaceuticals. For comparison, in 2021 this amount was 21.3 billion euros.
Germany benefits most from exports
Expenditures on imports from Russia for the whole of 2024 were 1.8 billion euros, while export revenues amounted to 7.6 billion euros. According to a recent INSA survey, a majority of Germans support a complete cessation of oil and gas imports into the EU./ BILD
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