How much did the EU spend on energy from Russia during the war? Less than Trump says, but still a lot

From March 2022 to July 2026, European Union countries spent about EUR 197 billion (about USD 209 billion) on fossil fuels imported from Russia, the European Pravda website reported, citing sources in Brussels.

According to EU estimates, if it were not for the introduction of the REPowerEU program, an initiative leading to the Community's gradual withdrawal from contracts with Moscow, this amount could have been much higher and reached approximately EUR 475 billion.

The official interviewed by EP also emphasized that already in 2023 (one year after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine), deliveries of fossil fuels from Russia to Europe amounted to only 6%. total Union expenditure.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that the European Union has paid Russia $250 billion for energy since the war broke out. The comment was a response to the Europeans' allegations against the US, which recently reached an agreement with Russia regarding the supply of diesel oil to the American market.

Volodymyr Zelensky called the deal "a birthday present for Vladimir Putin" and admitted that the Trump administration's actions look "terrible."

The Kremlin comments on the energy agreement

During Tuesday's press briefing, the Kremlin spokesman stated that the energy agreement with the US has no connection with the war in Ukraine.

I don't see any connection here. In fact, this is an example of Russian-American cooperation that brings great benefits to both sides, said Dmitry Peskov, who added that the European Union's actions may hinder the implementation of the agreement. Peskov accused Brussels of "interfering" with the agreement.