As Ukraine marks the sombre third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian campaign group Razom We Stand strongly condemns the European Union for its continued failure to close glaring loopholes in its latest 16th sanctions package, particularly its refusal to impose restrictions on Russian LNG, which is nothing short of a betrayal to Ukraine.
While Western allies have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions targeting Russia’s war economy, key weaknesses remain in energy trade restrictions, allowing billions to continue flowing into the Kremlin’s war chest. Russia’s fossil fuel exports remain one of the largest sources of funding for its war in Ukraine, and despite the EU’s stated goal of reducing reliance on Russian energy, Russian LNG purchases hit record levels in 2024, directly undermining both European security and Ukraine’s fight for survival. In 2024, the bloc imported at least 16.65m tonnes of LNG, a record high since production at Russia’s largest production facility, Novatek’s Yamal LNG, began at the end of 2017.
Svitlana Romanko, Founder and Director of Razom We Stand, stated: “On the third anniversary of Russia’s barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU had a chance to send a clear and decisive message to Moscow: the world will not tolerate aggression, and Russia will pay the price for its war crimes. Instead, by failing to fully sanction Russian LNG, EU leaders have chosen to keep bankrolling Putin’s war machine. Every euro spent on Russian energy translates into more bombs, more suffering, and more innocent lives lost, including the deaths of over 12,000 civilians and the kidnapping of 20,000 Ukrainian children who have been forcibly taken to Russia. This is not just a failure of policy—it is a moral failure.”
New data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reveals that stronger sanctions countering Russian circumventions could cut Russian fossil fuel revenues by 22%—EUR 59 billion annually. However, in the third year of the full-scale invasion, Russia still earned a staggering EUR 219 billion from global fossil fuel exports, with EU nations spending EUR 7 billion on Russian LNG alone.
The notion that Europe depends on Russian energy is outdated. In 2024, renewables supplied nearly 47% of the EU’s electricity. The €300 billion REPowerEU plan is accelerating this shift, proving the transition from fossil fuels is already underway.
Russia’s war has demonstrated the fragility of centralized energy systems. Decentralized renewables like solar and wind are not only cheaper but also far more resilient to attack than conventional power plants. In Russian-occupied and recently liberated regions of Ukraine, small-scale solar and wind projects are providing communities with independent, reliable energy, reducing their vulnerability to Russian strikes.
The EU’s failure to act not only undermines global efforts to support Ukraine but also perpetuates environmental and security risks, as unregulated shadow fleet vessels pose increasing hazards to maritime safety and climate goals. Russia has continued to exploit weak sanctions enforcement, relying on 512 ‘shadow’ vessels to transport 61% of its total seaborne oil exports, valued at EUR 83 billion.
The past three years (building up from original sanctions after the first 2014 invasion) have proven that sanctions work, but only if they are comprehensive, enforced, and consistently strengthened. Razom We Stand calls on policymakers to address these critical gaps in future sanctions packages by:
- Implementing a full ban on Russian LNG imports to prevent continued European financing of Russia’s war.
- Creating complete transparency on the EU gas market to help track where Russian gas may be used, and plan to reduce and eliminate.
- Sanctioning all ‘shadow fleet’ vessels and their operators to cut off illegal oil and gas transport.
- Imposing secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil and logistical enablers to ensure a true global crackdown on Russian fossil fuel revenues.
Now is the time for decisive action. History will judge how the world responds to this moment. EU leaders must choose justice over complacency, resilience over complicity, and peace over profit. The third anniversary of the full-scale invasion is not just a reflection on the past—it should be a moment to act decisively to shape the future.
ENDS
Razom We Stand is a Ukrainian clean energy campaign group active internationally, calling for a total and permanent embargo on Russian fossil fuels and an immediate end to all investment into Russian oil and gas companies by phasing out fossil fuels globally.
Svitlana Romanko has appeared in the top-tier international press, including Financial Times, Bloomberg, Washington Post, CNN, NBC, Newsweek, Politico, The Hill, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde and more.
