January 8, 2025

Dear Mayors of European Cities

The undersigned civil society organisations call on you to help end Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Many cities all over the world have introduced or are planning to introduce measures to reduce motorised traffic in order to make urban areas less polluted and more liveable as well as to contribute to climate action. Now there is another reason to accelerate this process: to deprive the Russian government of its oil export revenues which make it possible to continue the aggression against Ukraine.

Proceeds from oil and gas have accounted for a third to a half of the Russian government’s revenues for the last decade. Moreover, these revenues rose by around 41% year over year in the first half of 2024. The revenues from oil exports have been four times higher than those from gas exports.

The road sector is the largest oil-consuming sector worldwide, accounting for nearly one-half of the global demand.

Although the EU, the US and other G7 countries imposed an oil embargo on Russian oil, since the start of the war, the Kremlin has amassed more than €800 billion in revenue from its fossil fuel exports. This was made possible by weak enforcement and an increased global demand for oil.

• The so-called “refining” loophole allows Russia to legally ship its oil products refined by third countries such as India and China to the EU and the US.
• Russia’s “shadow” fleet of tankers allows it to sell its crude oil above the established price cap of $60 per barrel. Almost half of Russia’s crude oil was carried out on tankers owned or insured by G7/EU countries.
• The role of Western firms — from engineering to servicing— in supporting Russia’s fossil fuel sector with critical technology and know-how remains paramount.

However, enforcement of the measures against the export of Russian oil and/or introducing stricter measures would certainly increase oil prices which all governments are eager to avoid. Moreover, even if the EU, US and G7 would completely stop importing Russian oil directly and indirectly, China, India and other countries could import even more oil from Russia and less from other oil-producing countries and the EU would then import more oil from those oil-producing countries; in this way, the revenues from oil exports would still continue to flow into Russia’s treasury.

Thus, reducing oil consumption is key to halting Russia’s war machine, and cities could play a crucial role in this endeavour.

Toward that end, city leaders must take action to reduce the demand for oil through better urban mobility policies and raising awareness among citizens. Cities can and should start wide information campaigns, explaining that every litre of petrol or diesel oil burnt in motor vehicles only prolongs Russia’s murderous war against Ukraine, causing immeasurable suffering, killing children, destroying homes, decimating cities and resulting in millions of lost or war-torn lives, as well as contributing to high inflation rates, food shortages and mass migration all over the world.

We look forward to your reply and hope that you will contribute to building peace in Europe, protecting our environment, and securing our common future.

Sincerely yours, 

Svitlana Romanko, Founder and Executive Director of Razom We Stand

Supported by:

1. Razom We Stand – Ukraine
2. 350.org – Global
3. EKOenergy ecolabel – Global
4. International Society of Doctors for Environment (ISDE)– International
5. International Network for Sustainable Energy – International
6. European Environmental Bureau (EEB) – Europe
7. Transport & Environment – Europe
8. Canopea – Belgium
9. Bond Beter Leefmilieu – Belgium
10. Association Respire – France
11. Germanwatch – Germany
12. Electra Energy – Greece
13. ECOCITY– Greece
14. Clean Air Action Group – Hungary
15. Rinascimento Green – Italy
16. Cittadini per l’aria – Italy
17. Green Liberty – Latvia
18. VšĮ Žiedinė Ekonomika – Lithuania
19. Institute for Sustainable Development Foundation – Poland
20. Polish Ecological Club Mazovian Branch – Poland
21. Quercus – Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza – Portugal
22. Asociatia 2Celsius – Romania
23. Genç Düşünce Enstitüsü – Turkey
24. Danube-Carpathian Programme– Ukraine
25. DiXi Group – Ukraine
26. Ecoclub – Ukraine
27. EHA Green World – Ukraine
28. Ekoltava– Ukraine
29. Energy Transition Coalition– Ukraine
30. Environmental Club Eremurus – Ukraine
31. Environment-People-Law– Ukraine
32. ForestCom– Ukraine
33. Greenpeace Ukraine
34. National Interests Advocacy Network ANTS – Ukraine
35. SaveDnipro – Ukraine
36. U-Cycle – Ukraine
37. Unique Planet NGO– Ukraine