For example, the European Union (EU) still imported more than $18 billion in crude oil and natural gas from Russia, despite a fall of more than 90% from its peak in the first half of 2023.

The chart below uses data from the Center for Research in Energy and Clean Air (CREA) to show the countries buying the most Russian fossil fuels in the first half of 2023.

Accordingly, China remained number one as Russian fossil fuel imports hit $30 billion year-to-date through June 16, 2023. Almost 80% of this is crude oil. However, the average daily value has fallen from $210 million in 2022 to $178 million this year, largely due to falling Russian crude prices.

After China comes the EU, although that bloc stopped importing Russian coal in August 2022. The EU still imports $18.4 billion worth of Russian fossil fuels, with crude oil and gas accounting for 60% and 40%, respectively.

In third place is India with imports of Russian fossil fuels that have increased more than tenfold since the start of the Ukraine war, mostly cheap Russian crude oil.

Turkey ranked fourth when it imported more than $10 billion in Russian fossil fuels in the first half of 2023. The rest of the countries on the list all imported less than $3 billion.