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Azerbaijan: The invisible hand behind Russia’s oil exports to Europe
In the shadow of world events, Azerbaijan has secured a curious role in the global oil and gas industry, playing both sides of a complex energy and geopolitical chess game. As the West has imposed sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, the world has been led to believe that Europe has cut its reliance on Russian fossil fuels. However, behind the scenes, Azerbaijan is facilitating a secretive but crucial oil trade with Russia, ensuring that Europe’s energy needs are met while allowing the continent to maintain its tough stance against Moscow.
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It doesn’t say here which countries in Europe buy their oil or the amounts. I know France and Germany don’t, then who? Bulgaria?
A couple of things;
1). Azerbaijan was in the right in the recent war for Karabakh – Armenia was illegally occupying what was internationally recognized as Azerbaijan territory and ignoring several UN resolutions demanding their withdrawal.
2). Azerbaijan buys Russian oil cheap and sells at market rates to Europe. So price cap is maintained and Russia loses while Europe wins and Azerbaijan wins big!
@ tony: which countries in Europe? Why not name them? Enough with the exaggerations
Azerbaijan exports hydrocarbons and petroleum products to Italy, India, Spain, Israel, Turkey, Georgia, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Portugal, Ukraine, China, Canada, Germany, among others.
(Oil, gas, and related petroleum products accounted for 91% of Azerbaijan’s total exports in 2022.)
Source: https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/azerbaijan-energy
The biggest importers of crude petroleum from Azerbaijan were in 2022: Italy ($6.72B), Israel ($1.67B), India ($1.6B), Spain ($1.03B), and Croatia ($990M).
Source: https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/crude-petroleum/reporter/aze
Unfortunately, too many European countries buy Azerbaijani petroleum, thus bolstering the Aliyev dictatorship, and which enabled that regime to invest and modernize its military, at the expense of Armenia and which lead to the destruction of Artsakh. Since more than 90% of that country’s economy is based on petroleum, sanctioning Azerbaijan would cause its economy to collapse, and make it very difficult for it to find other importers and much more difficult to diversify its economy. But on the other hand, the West has no backbone and principles, and continues to boost, appease and spoil the Azerbaijani dictatorship.
@ steve m: Canada? No, Canada is a major oil exporting country. You really imagine canada would import crude oil from 6,000 miles away?