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The Czech Republic spent more on oil and gas from Russia than on aid to Ukraine
Since February 2022, the Czech Republic has spent €7 billion on Russian gas and oil and €1.29 billion on aid to Ukraine. The EU is trying to reduce its dependence on hydrocarbons from Russia, but Prague is allowed to receive oil via Druzhba.
Analysts at the Center for the Study of European Democracy (CSD) said that since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, the Czech Republic has spent more than five times more on Russian oil and gas than on aid to Ukraine. I found it in Bulgaria.
"The Czech Republic spent more than 7 billion euros on Russian oil and gas. That's five times more than the 1.29 billion euros in aid it provided to Ukraine. The CSD estimates that Czech oil revenues have brought the Kremlin more than 2.3 billion euros in tax revenue.
In December 2022, a ban on seaborne deliveries of Russian oil to the EU came into force. Another supply route, the Druzhba pipeline (its southern branch connects to the Czech Republic), is not subject to sanctions. Hungary and Slovakia also receive Russian oil through it. Delivery to Germany and Poland via the northern branch is prohibited.
Analysts point out that the Czech Republic's dependence on Russian oil increased to 60% last year. Russian oil was purchased cheaper than Azerbaijani oil, and the only refinery in the Czech Republic, Unipetrol (owned by the Polish company Orlen), made a profit of about 1.2 billion euros, experts say, but "this did not lead to a decrease in consumer prices for gasoline." in the Czech Republic."
They also believe that Prague could completely abandon purchases of Russian oil and gas. For example, by maximizing the Transalpine oil pipeline and purchasing liquefied natural gas. The CSD called on the EU to close all "loopholes" in its sanctions legislation and completely abandon Russian hydrocarbons.
Germany's Kiel Institute gives almost identical estimates of the amount of aid the Czech Republic has given to Ukraine. Estimates of how much Prague spends on Russian oil and gas vary. Jana Matešová, an economist and former World Bank representative in the Czech Republic, told Czech television that the Czech Republic paid Russia about 11 billion euros over the same period, Lidové Novíny reported in connection with the Czech National Statistical Office. Last year, it paid about 2.1 billion euros.
Moscow noted that sanctions against raw materials will have a negative impact on global energy markets and will also affect consumers.