In 2024, Europe, specifically the European Union (EU), continued to purchase significant amounts of energy from Russia despite efforts to reduce dependency following the invasion of Ukraine. Based on available data, the EU spent approximately €21.9 billion on Russian fossil fuels in 2024, according to a report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) cited by The Guardian. This figure reflects a slight year-on-year decrease of 6% in value and 1% in volume compared to the previous year, indicating that purchases remained substantial despite sanctions and diversification efforts.
Breaking this down by energy type:
1. **Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG):** The EU imported a record 16.5 million metric tons of LNG from Russia in 2024, up from 15.2 million metric tons in 2023. This volume was worth close to €7 billion, as reported by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). Major importers included France (€2.68 billion), Spain (€1.84 billion), and Belgium (€930 million). LNG accounted for a significant portion of Russia’s energy exports to the EU, with the bloc purchasing 49% of Russia’s total LNG exports.
2. **Oil and Oil
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