Russia is the world's largest exporter of gas and oil, and it is also the third largest exporter of coal in the world. Revenue from fossil fuel exports is a key source of Russia’s income, providing 40% of the federal budget, which funds Putin’s military build-up and aggression.
Ukraine has been suffering from a devastating Russian invasion since February 24. Russia has been waging war on Ukraine intermittently since 2014 as a result of Western vs Russian geopolitics, funded and fuelled by global addiction to oil and gas. Putin has weaponized energy supplies by leveraging control over gas pipelines as a blackmail tool against Europe, underscoring the fossil fuel system’s role in driving conflict.
World’s dependence on fossil fuels pushed some countries to keep silent or hesitate to react to Russian aggression against Ukraine. Meanwhile, fossil fuel exports have contributed approximately EUR 43 billion to Russia’s federal budget in the first six months since the start of the invasion, helping fund terrible war crimes in Ukraine.
This war is a fight for Ukrainians’ own freedom, but more broadly, a fight for freedom and self-determination worldwide.
