Despite EU sanctions, member states continue to purchase energy resources from Russia, Bild has reported.
EU member countries imported Russian goods valued at €8.7 billion ($10.2 billion) in just the first three months of 2025, according to a Bild report that cited data from the German Economic Institute.
For the first quarter of this year, the trade balance between the EU and Russia slightly favored Moscow, indicating that the bloc acquired more from its eastern neighbor than it sold. The German media outlet specifically identified natural gas imports, at €4.4 billion, and crude oil, at €1.4 billion, as the two largest items Russia supplied to the EU.
Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the bloc declared its intention to reduce economic ties with Moscow. While imports of Russian gas and oil have seen a significant decrease since then, several EU nations still obtain a substantial portion of their energy supplies from Russia.
Some member states have witnessed their industries lose global competitive edge after transitioning to more expensive alternatives.
Russian fertilizers, iron and steel, and nickel were also among the top imports in early 2025, according to Bild.
Earlier this year, the European Commission unveiled its RePowerEU Roadmap, which aims for a complete cessation of all Russian energy imports by the end of 2027.
Hungary and Slovakia, both highly reliant on Russian energy provisions, have strongly opposed this plan, arguing it would compromise their respective energy security.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, earlier this month, accused certain member states of “hypocrisy,” claiming they are still clandestinely purchasing “Russian oil” via Asian intermediaries.
In August, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted that his country was experiencing “not merely a period of economic weakness, but a structural crisis of our economy,” pointing to falling revenues among Germany’s major automakers.
Commenting on the bloc’s economic troubles back in April, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that “this is the true cost of the EU’s anti-Russian agenda.”
“Russophobia is an expensive obsession,” she concluded.