Greenpeace Romania calls on the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to immediately impose an embargo on Russian fossil fuels and on the Prime Minister of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, to end their imports into Romania.
“EU member states have paid more than 31 billion euro for fossil fuels to Russia since the beginning of the invasion. From the earliest days of Vladimir Putin’s absurd war against Ukraine, Greenpeace has revealed the toxic link between the fossil fuel industry and the war, but also how it fuels conflict, destroys lives and exacerbates the climate crisis. Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil company and one of the largest in the world, led by Putin’s former deputy Igor Secin, is a major supplier of fuel to the Russian military. Every time we buy Russian fossil fuels, we not only contribute financially to this war, but we actually keep the military equipment in operation,” the Greenpeace statement reads. Rosneft and its subsidiaries, Rosneft-Aero and Transneft deliver fuel to the Russian military before the invasion and to this day.
More than 4.6 million Ukrainian refugees have left the country after the military invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The UN has estimated that 7.1 million people have been displaced inside Ukraine, and more than 1,600 Ukrainian civilians have lost their lives.
“Greenpeace has shown its support for Ukraine in most of the world’s capitals: we have organized peace protests, stopped Russian ships carrying fossil fuels, lobbied European and Romanian politicians, responded quickly and made our offices available to house, feed and protect refugees. Together with more than 600 organizations from more than 55 countries around the world, we signed the ‘Stand with Ukraine’ manifesto to end global dependence on fossil fuels that finances Putin’s war machine. The United States, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Japan have already announced a embargo on fossil resources from Russia. It’s time for Romania to do the same. With courage and determination, not always at the bottom of the list,” says the environmental organization.
To stop this war, however, we need European cooperation and a full and immediate embargo on Russian fossil fuels, as well as speeding up investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency. At the moment, Romania, although much more energy independent than many other European countries, occupies a place on the list of shame and contributes billions of euros, through purchased fuels, to war crimes in Ukraine.
“We must stop importing fossil fuels from Russia immediately. All the hesitations and delays of politicians translate into loss of life. It is time for our governments to make courageous decisions, cut the root of evil, end the war and be able to speak with dignity about the real help given to Ukraine. The money we pay to Russia is directly responsible for fueling the war. This money is stained with the blood of innocent civilians. This money could be invested in clean, renewable energy, the energy of peace, but our politicians are showing cowardice,” said Vlad Cătună, Climate and Energy Campaign Coordinator.
Two days after Putin launched the war in Ukraine, Svitlana Krakovska, a scientist and member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations (UN), said: “Climate change caused by human activities and the war in Ukraine they are fueled by fossil fuels and our dependence on them.”