Taiwan has unexpectedly become the world’s largest importer of Russian naphtha, fueling questions about the island’s credibility as a vocal ally of Ukraine while deepening its economic dependence on Moscow’s energy exports.
According to a new report released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, a Finnish think tank working alongside European, Russian, and Taiwanese NGOs, Taiwan purchased $1.3 billion worth of Russian naphtha in the first half of 2025 alone.
That figure represents a 44% increase compared to the same period in 2024, and average monthly imports surged to levels nearly six times higher than those recorded in 2022, the year Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The findings have ignited debate in Taipei and across global diplomatic circles, exposing the difficult balance Taiwan faces between supporting Western sanctions against Moscow and securing enough fuel to sustain its economy.
Taiwan imports nearly 97% of its energy needs, a structural vulnerability that policymakers have long described as a national security risk in the event of a conflict with China. Naphtha, a crude oil derivative essential to manufacturing semiconductors, is especially critical to Taiwan’s petrochemical sector and to the global supply chain that depends heavily on its microchip production.
This surge in imports is politically awkward for Taiwan, which has consistently positioned itself alongside Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
Only days ago, Taiwan’s foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, signed a pact in Poland pledging support for children affected by the war, highlighting Taipei’s solidarity with Kyiv.
Yaiwan has also imposed export controls to prevent advanced Taiwanese technology from bolstering Russia’s military capabilities. Yet, by continuing to buy large volumes of Russian fossil fuels, Taipei indirectly channels billions of dollars into Kremlin coffers—funds that analysts warn are not insignificant to Moscow’s ability to sustain its war.
Joseph Webster, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, described the revenue from Taiwan’s purchases as “not immaterial to the Kremlin’s revenues.”
While Taiwan may justify its actions as a pragmatic response to energy insecurity, critics argue that such dependence undercuts its moral stance against Russian aggression and undermines its credibility with democratic allies, including the United States and Europe.
Hsin Hsuan Sun, co-author of the report and a director at the Environmental Rights Foundation, warned that Taipei “cannot afford to ignore the risks created by its growing dependence on Russian fossil fuel,” calling the reliance a serious blow to its international reputation.
The United States, under President Donald Trump, has repeatedly urged nations to cut off Russian energy purchases. Trump himself demanded NATO members and partners stop buying Russian oil, framing such trade as direct support for Moscow’s war machine.
In this context, Taiwan’s position is increasingly complicated. Washington sees Taipei as a critical democratic partner in Asia, especially as tensions with Beijing rise. Yet the reliance on Russian fuel exposes a strategic contradiction: Taiwan is strengthening the economy of an authoritarian power closely aligned with China, the very country that threatens its sovereignty.
Some experts, however, caution against overinterpreting Taiwan’s purchases. John Lough, head of foreign policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre, argued that this looks more like opportunism than geopolitics.
“Even if the money from Taiwan helped to fill the Kremlin’s coffers, it’s a stretch to think Russia will be willing or able to provide military support to China in the event of increased Chinese pressure on Taiwan,” he said.
Instead, analysts note that Taiwan’s petrochemical industry seized on discounted Russian supplies to sustain competitiveness in global markets, particularly as semiconductor demand surges worldwide.
Still, the optics remain troubling. Since February 2022, Taiwan has imported 6.8 million tonnes of Russian naphtha worth about $4.9 billion, equivalent to roughly 20% of Russia’s total exports of the product.
This makes Taiwan a far more significant customer than many nations that have refused to join sanctions on Russia. Such numbers stand in sharp contrast with Taipei’s rhetoric of aligning itself with Western democracies in defense of Ukraine.
The paradox of Taiwan’s position reflects broader global realities: energy security often collides with political principles. Many democracies, while condemning Russia’s invasion, continue to rely on Russian fossil fuels due to the difficulty of quickly diversifying supplies.
For Taiwan, the stakes are even higher. Its economic model is built on energy-intensive semiconductor manufacturing, while its strategic vulnerability to a potential Chinese blockade makes diversification slow and risky. At the same time, any perception of hypocrisy risks eroding the trust of allies whose support Taipei may desperately need in a crisis with Beijing.
The shadow of China looms large in these debates. Comparisons between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s ambitions for Taiwan are increasingly common, reinforcing Taipei’s determination to demonstrate solidarity with Kyiv.
Yet as Beijing strengthens its ties with Moscow, Taiwan’s financial contributions to Russia’s energy sector feed a narrative that democracies are not fully committed to their stated principles.
Analysts stress that this could become a diplomatic weak point exploited by both Russia and China to drive wedges between Taiwan and its Western supporters.
For now, Taiwan insists that its alignment with Ukraine and the democratic world remains firm. Officials argue that sanctions already imposed on high-tech exports demonstrate serious commitment, while the energy issue reflects unavoidable realities rather than political betrayal.
Still, the contradiction is difficult to ignore: Taiwan, the democratic island facing existential threats from China, is simultaneously the largest buyer of a Russian product helping to finance Moscow’s brutal war against Ukraine.
As the energy market tightens and global scrutiny intensifies, Taiwan’s policymakers may soon face tougher questions from both allies and domestic critics.
The challenge will be whether they can maintain the island’s economic lifelines without compromising the credibility of its foreign policy—and whether the semiconductor powerhouse can find a sustainable balance between pragmatism and principle in a world increasingly shaped by great power rivalries.
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