Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The embargo on Russian oil is often circumvented through third countries such as China, India and Turkey. Belgium and the Netherlands top the European list of "washed" oil importers, the Belgian news agency quoted the Brussels newspaper Die Teide on Wednesday.
She also said that after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the West imposed an embargo on oil imports from Russia and a ceiling on Russian oil prices. But these countries partially circumvent their own sanctions through third parties, according to research by the Finnish Center for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA). EU member states and other partners imported petroleum products, such as diesel and paraffin, from five “washing” countries last winter. According to the letter of the law, this does not violate the prohibition.
Immediately after the imposition of the embargo on Russian oil by sea, shipments rose from China, India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore to the countries subject to the price cap. The five countries have become the biggest buyers of Russian oil since the invasion of Ukraine at prices often depressed by Western sanctions.
In recent months, the five countries together accounted for 60-70 percent of Russia's total exports, while before the war these countries hardly bought any Russian oil.
The European Union is the five largest buyer of oil products, producing just over 20 million tons in the twelve months following the invasion of Ukraine.
Belgium and the Netherlands stand out. More than 7 million tons have arrived through the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam since the Russian invasion. About a third of this amount was imported after the imposition of the embargo and price ceiling at the beginning of December.
Of all the countries participating in the price cap coalition, only Australia, the United States and Japan have imported more "washed" oil in recent months.