As part of a group of 16 civil society organizations from Ukraine and the EU, our think tank appealed to Australia’s Prime Minister. In a joint letter addressed to Anthony Albanese, we emphasize the need to close a gap in sanctions that finances Russia’s war against our country.
In particular, it concerns Australian imports of refined fuel produced from Russian crude oil in third countries, which have provided the Kremlin with about USD 1.3 billion in tax revenue. This money would be enough for more than 37,000 drones that terrorize Ukrainian civilians every day.
“Every litre of this blood oil undermines Australia’s sanctions, strengthens Russia’s war machine, and contradicts support for Ukraine and the rules-based international order,” the authors of the appeal state.
Unlike the EU and the UK, which closed this loophole in their 2025 sanctions decisions, Australia only bans direct imports of Russian oil, not refined fuels made from it. This has made the country the world’s largest importer of such products, spending more than double its aid to Ukraine.
Thus, from February 2023 until the end of June 2025, Australia purchased products from Indian refineries using Russian crude for USD 6.4 billion. In the first half of this year alone, the country paid USD 1.6 billion for such fuels. This is almost as much as for the entire 2023.
The statement calls on the Australian Government to take swift and decisive action: “By following the example of the EU and UK, and implementing a robust refinery-level ban, Australia can ensure not a single dollar of your trade supports Russia’s war of aggression.
You can read the text of the joint letter here.
