Taiwan and Russian oil product: how energy dependence contradicts political support for Ukraine
1 October 18:30
Taiwan has become the largest importer of Russian petroleum product, ligroin, despite Ukraine’s public support. In the first half of 2025, the island purchased $1.3 billion worth of crude oil products from Russia, which is 44% more than in the same period in 2024. Average monthly imports increased almost six times compared to 2022. This is reported byThe Guardian, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Since February 2022, Taiwan has imported 6.8 million tons of ligroin worth $4.9 billion, which is about 20% of total exports of this product from Russia.
Political position and sanctions
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Taiwan joined international sanctions against Moscow and introduced export controls on high-tech equipment. At the diplomatic level, the island regularly supports Ukraine.
However, despite the sanctions, Taiwan has not imposed restrictions on the purchase of Russian fossil fuels. The island’s energy dependence on imports is 97%, which experts identify as a key vulnerability in the event of a conflict with China.
The use of ligroin and economic consequences
Ligroin is a refined petroleum product that is used to produce chemicals in the semiconductor and electronics industries. These sectors form the backbone of Taiwan’s economy and are important to global industry.
Analysts have drawn attention to the parallels between Russia’s plans for Ukraine and China’s potential plans for Taiwan, emphasizing the strategic importance of energy security for the island nation.
Global context and russia’s energy strategy
Russia is forced to reorient its energy supplies from the EU to other markets, primarily China. Gas prices for China are lower than for Europe, but this does not compensate for the loss of the European market for Gazprom.
The Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission has temporarily set zero import duties on gasoline, which makes it easier to supply fuel from Russia. At the same time, Ukraine is striking at Russian oil and gas infrastructure with drones, exacerbating the supply crisis for the aggressor.
Taiwan finds itself in a difficult position: political support for Ukraine and international sanctions contradict the need to ensure energy security. Experts warn that such dependence on Russian fuel increases the island’s strategic risks in the event of an escalation of tensions with China.
As a reminder, Taiwan’s role as a global semiconductor producer
Sanctions against Russia after 2022 and their effectiveness.
Geopolitical risks for energy-dependent states in the Indo-Pacific region.
