Russia’s share of EU oil imports dropped to 2.2 per cent in 2025

Russia’s share of the EU’s oil imports dropped from 25.8 per cent in 2021 to 2.2 per cent in 2025. This was mainly compensated for by growing imports from the US, Norway and Kazakhstan, the EU says in a newly published explainer, ‘Where does the EU get its oil from?’

The EU’s main partners for oil imports have changed significantly in the last few years, the explainer says. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the EU has imposed sanctions on Russia in order to diminish its ability to wage its illegal war of aggression.

The EU’s top three import partners in 2025 were the United States, Kazakhstan and Norway, with all three providing between 12 and 15 per cent of the EU’s oil imports (in terms of quantities imported).

The EU’s fourth import partner was Libya, with a share of over 9 per cent, followed by Saudi Arabia (6.8 per cent), Nigeria and Iraq (both with a share of 5.8 per cent). Around 7 per cent of the EU’s oil imports in 2025 came from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 

A total of 4.1 per cent (or 17.7 million tonnes) was bought by the EU from Azerbaijan last year.

The explainer also provides reasons why the EU needs to import its oil: “Oil accounts for a large share of the energy consumed in the EU, but the EU member states do not house any large oil reserves. This is why the EU imports almost all its crude oil (around 97% in 2024).” 

Although the EU is transitioning away from fossil fuels, it is still highly dependent on oil imports. In 2025, the EU imported around 435 million tonnes (Mt) of crude oil, worth over €212 billion. 

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Explainer ‘Where does the EU get its oil from?’