Explained: Just how dependent is the EU on Russian oil?

The war in Ukraine has exposed the European Union’s entrenched dependency on Russian oil, one of Moscow’s most profitable exports.

The EU is Russia’s top oil client, buying around 2.2 million barrels of crude, together with 1.2 million barrels of refined products, on a daily basis. 

This consumption pattern has put the bloc in an extremely awkward position as the Kremlin continues its military aggression in Ukraine while it profits from sky-high energy prices. 

Since the onset of the conflict on 24 February, the EU’s 27 member states have spent more than €20 billion on Russian oil, according to a tracking tool set up by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organisation.

Could the bloc wean itself off its dark addiction?

Watch the video above to learn more about the EU’s dependency on Russian oil.