November 11, 2026: The Netherlands has said it is "difficult" for any country or organization to track the origin of petroleum products, casting doubt on how well European Union (EU) sanctions on Russian crude oil work. The comment came in emailed responses from Dutch officials on November 10, 2026, as India keeps buying Russian oil.

The Dutch position matters because the Netherlands is the third-largest buyer of India's petroleum products. It is also the gateway for fuel supplies into the EU through Rotterdam, Europe's largest port. India is the second-largest buyer of Russian crude exports after China.

Pieter ten Bruggencate, spokesperson for climate and green growth minister Stientje van Veldhoven-van der Meer, said oil products are mixed in "multiple places," which makes their origin hard to trace. "Traders need to show no Russian oil is used in the refining process," he said. National customs organizations must monitor this, he added, but they cannot monitor all shipments.

(Source: JournalArta)