The trade of the European Union with Russia has dropped sharply from the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, writes Euronews. The EU has introduced numerous restrictions on imports and exports, which led to a 61% decrease to exports to Russia and to a 89% decrease in Russia imports between the first quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2025.
According to “Euronews” researches based on Eurostat data, in the second quarter of 2025, the trade has decreased to the lowest level since the beginning of registrations in 2002. In the same quarter, the EU has registered its first commercial surplus with Russia in more than 20 years.
What are the main export and import flows in 2025? How did the trade between the EU and Russia have changed from the invasion of Ukraine? And how important is the trade with Russia for the EU?
EU trade with Russia
In the second quarter of 2025, according to Eurostat, imports from Russia decreased, while exports to Russia increased compared to the previous quarter. As a result, the EU's trade balance with Russia, which has always registered a deficit, has turned into a small surplus of 0.5 billion euros. Imports amounted to 7 billion euros, while exports to Russia reached 7.5 billion euros, bringing total trade to 14.5 billion euros.
This represents an 82% scale of the volume of transactions compared to the first quarter of 2022, when the Russian invasion began, and the commercial exchanges totaled 81.9 billion euros. The quarter has marked the third highest level since the beginning of the 2002 records, the peak being reached in the first quarter of 2013, at 82.9 billion euros.
The EU, along with the G7 countries and other partners with the same visions, has ceased to treat Russia as the “most favored country” and implemented a fourth package of sanctions on March 15, 2022, which eliminated the key advantages that Russia enjoys as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Instead of increasing import rates, the EU has chosen to act through sanctions, including prohibitions and restrictions on both import and export of certain goods.
The share of trade with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine
Until February 24, 2022, when he invaded Ukraine, Russia was one of the main EU trading partners. Since then, its role has dropped dramatically, as demonstrated by the decrease of its share in the extra trade, rather than in nominal figures.
Extra trade refers to transactions with all the EU countries.
Russia's share in extra-EU exports decreased from 3.2% in the first quarter of 2022 to 1.2% in the second quarter of 2025. In the same period, its weight in extra imports decreased from 9.3% to only 1.1%. This represents a decrease of 88%.
EU energy deficit with Russia decreases to 4.2 billion euros
The EU's global trade balance is closely related to energy products. In 2021 and 2022, the high energy prices pushed the commercial energy deficit at a peak of 42.8 billion euros in the second quarter of 2022. However, in the second quarter of 2025, the import restrictions and the lowering of energy prices reduced the deficit to 4.2 billion euros.
At the same time, the EU surplus to machines and vehicles suddenly decreased from 9.7 billion euros in the second quarter of 2021 to only 0.5 billion euros in the second quarter of 2025.
Chemicals and related products were not affected by sanctions. Until the middle of 2025, they will represent the largest commercial surplus with Russia, decreasing compared to 3.2 billion euros in the second quarter of 2021, reaching 2.8 billion euros.
EU energy dependence on Russia is decreasing
The EU goal is to reduce energy dependence on Russia and significant progress has been made. In the first quarter of 2021, Russia was the main oil supplier of the EU. However, following the invasion of Ukraine, there was a major change in EU oil trade.
The EU prohibition on the maritime imports of Russian crude oil, which entered into force on December 5, 2022, together with the embargo on refined oil products, led to a marked decrease in imports from Russia. As a result, Russia's share in oil imports decreased from 29% in the first quarter of 2021 to only 2% in the second quarter of 2025. In the same period, the share of imports from the United States increased by 5 percentage points, and the one from Norway by 4 percentage points.
During the same period, Russia's share in EU natural gas imports decreased from 39% to 13%. Nickel imports decreased from 41% to 15%, while iron and steel imports decreased from 18% to 6%. (Material made with the support of Rador Radio Romania)
