The EU has transferred € 1 billion to Ukraine since the start of the war – and € 35 billion to Russia
Since European countries are still dependent on Russian gas and oil, it turns out that despite the heavy sanctions and unequivocal support for Kiev – Moscow is still getting a lot more money
Since the outbreak of the war in Eastern Europe, the EU has transferred 35 billion euros to Vladimir Putin for energy supply – while one billion euros to Ukraine for defense. So said a senior diplomat.
(Photo: Reuters)
Joseph Burrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, made the comparison in a blunt speech, urging European countries to send more weapons to Ukraine to help them end the war.
“Zlansky should be told less often that he is a hero, and given more weapons to fight. That is what the Ukrainians expect of us, and that is what we are doing, and we need to do it faster. We must continue to arm Ukraine,” said Burrell, noting that the union pledged To transfer a billion euros to Ukraine as aid, which “may seem like a lot”, but “a billion euros is what we pay Putin every day for the energy he provides us”.
Burrell made the remarks while the EU was discussing a fifth round of sanctions against Russia, with a ban on € 4 billion worth of coal imports from the country, and is the easiest supply to replace. “Today we put an end to coal, but that’s a very small part of the overall bill,” Burrell said.
“Our independence, our energetic autonomy, is conditional on renewable energy. And for the first time, geopolitics and climate change are shaking hands with a common goal,” he added.
Poland and the Baltic states argue that the energy ban should also target Russia’s most lucrative oil and gas exports, but have faced opposition to immediate action by Germany, Austria and Hungary. The EU imports 41% of its gas and 27% of its oil from Russia, but these are average figures when there are countries with higher and lower quantities.
Discussions on the subject were accelerated after the disclosure of photos and testimonies from the town of Bocha on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv, which with the departure of Russian forces from the area and the entry of Ukrainian soldiers – became clear in terms of destruction and horror. According to the surviving answers, it was a massacre while those dead did not provoke the Russian forces at all.
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