War Balance

Is Namibia helping Ukraine or Russia? Leaning toward Russia

Namibia's support for Ukraine since 2022: <€1m (<0.01% of one year's GDP: its aid, refugee hosting, private donations and its other parts of support, net of money flowing back). Russia kept €100m (0.83% of GDP) more than without the war, mostly Russian crude in fuel bought from refiners elsewhere (€146m; the other parts take €45m off it). The net is 0.83% of a year's GDP toward Russia (likely from 1.7% toward Russia to 1.4% toward Ukraine; likely toward Russia · 77%).

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Leaning toward Russia by

0.83% of a year's GDP since 2022

likely toward Russia · 77%

likely from 1.7% toward Russia to 1.4% toward Ukraine · €100m · ≈ 0.18%/yr

Supported Ukraine + raised Russia's earnings from trade = 0.83% of GDP toward Russia. Mostly toward Russia (mostly Russian crude in fuel bought from refiners elsewhere).

Chance toward Russia: 77%; 100% of the other method choices agree.

Support for Ukraine

Supported Ukraine with

<0.01%

<€1m

about 0 essentially zero

Russia's earnings from trade

Probably raised Russia's earnings from trade by

0.83%

€100m

likely from 1.8% toward Russia to 1.4% toward Ukraine likely toward Russia · 77%

Russia kept €100m (0.83% of GDP) more than without the war, mostly Russian crude in fuel bought from refiners elsewhere (€146m; the other parts take €45m off it).

The two lines add up to Russia's earnings from trade; their ranges do not.

Its story in short

What decides this number

Chance toward Russia: 77%; 100% of the other method choices agree. Not certain, mostly because of how much it would have bought from Russia without the war. What decides it: if Russia kept more from its oil bought via other countries were 69% smaller, the direction would flip.

What makes up the number

Supported Ukraine with <0.01% · <€1m

Probably raised Russia's earnings from trade by 0.83% · €100m

Russia kept more from its oil bought via other countriesDown estimate−1.2%€146m
Russia kept less from fuel and goods sold hereC+0.41%€50m
Russia kept more from war-time fuel pricesC−0.03%€4m

+ toward Ukraine, − toward Russia (in support for Ukraine, − is money it earned back or bought less from Ukraine than without the war). Letters: A reported, B measured estimate, C modelled estimate, D rough indication.

By year

The year with the largest net amount was 2023: −€35m. The yearly amounts are small against the range of the total, so their side from one year to the next is not a finding.

YearSupport for UkraineTrade: toward Ukraine (+) / toward Russia (−)NetNet since 2022
2022+<€1m+€2m+€2m+0.02%
2023+<€1m−€35m−€35m−0.27%
2024+<€1m+€1m+€1m−0.27%
2025+<€1m−€31m−€31m−0.52%
2026*+<€1m−€37m−€37m−0.83%

Each year's amount: + toward Ukraine, − toward Russia. *2026: to August.

Trade with Russia before and after

It bought €31m from Russia in 2021 and €31m in 2025 (−1%). It sold €1m to Russia in 2021 and €8m in 2025. For Namibia: €4m paid above no-war prices, most of it in 2022, 71% of it on gas contracts. Most of this is fuel and food bought from Russia. Fuel is fungible and sold through many traders: the figure reflects what this economy bought, not a policy toward Russia or Ukraine. These are sales values at each year's prices; the totals count what the seller kept on them.

Sanctions on Russia

We found no sanctions of Namibia's own against Russia (checked 27 October 2026). This says nothing about whether firms there follow other countries' sanctions. Russia's list of “unfriendly” states does not name Namibia. Checked 27 October 2026.

Every country's sanctions on Russia →

Indirect channels: hubs, refined oil, shipping

Russia kept more from its oil bought via other countries: €0.15bn (1.2% of one year's GDP).

Compared with its neighbours and groups

Its direction is leaning toward Russia, so the map's ranking gives it no number.

Neighbours by land

CountryNet, % of GDP
Angola+0.25%+€0.26bnlikely toward Ukraine · 92%
Zambia−0.05%−€13messentially zero
Botswana−0.07%−€12messentially zero
South Africa−0.49%−€1.8bnvery likely · >99%
Namibia−0.83%−€0.10bnlikely toward Russia · 77%

In its region, with the same chance and direction: the nearest net shares of GDP

CountryNet, % of GDP
Mozambique−0.85%−€0.16bnlikely toward Russia · 68%
United Arab Emirates−0.71%−€3.5bnlikely toward Russia · 97%
Egypt−0.43%−€1.7bnlikely toward Russia · 95%
Kenya−0.31%−€0.33bnlikely toward Russia · 90%

How the number is backed

11 sources back its parts: 1 official statistics, 1 research reports, 0 press reports and 3 of this project's own estimates, plus 6 method inputs. By size, 0% of its parts are reported or measured (A–B), 27% modelled (C) and 73% rough indications (D).

Data coverage

Sources, by part

Russia kept more from its oil bought via other countries D

Russia kept less from fuel and goods sold here C

Russia kept more from war-time fuel prices C

Every source of its parts (11)

Questions

Is Namibia helping Russia?

In money terms the net is −0.83% of one year's GDP (likely from 1.7% toward Russia to 1.4% toward Ukraine; likely toward Russia · 77%). Chance toward Russia: 77%; 100% of the other method choices agree. Russia kept €100m (0.83% of GDP) more than without the war, mostly Russian crude in fuel bought from refiners elsewhere (€146m; the other parts take €45m off it). Most of this is fuel and food bought from Russia. Fuel is fungible and sold through many traders: the figure reflects what this economy bought, not a policy toward Russia or Ukraine. The number counts money: weapons at their money value; votes, diplomacy and intent are not in it.

What decides Namibia's number?

Chance toward Russia: 77%; 100% of the other method choices agree. Not certain, mostly because of how much it would have bought from Russia without the war. What decides it: if Russia kept more from its oil bought via other countries were 69% smaller, the direction would flip.

How does Namibia compare with its neighbours?

The net as a share of one year's GDP: Angola +0.25%, Zambia −0.05%, Botswana −0.07%, South Africa −0.49%, Namibia −0.83%.

Where do the numbers for Namibia come from?

11 sources back its parts, 1 of them official statistics. By part: Russia kept more from its oil bought via other countries: Laundered oil: fuel made from Russian crude, assigned to the final buyer (trading hubs pass on what they resell), valued at the Russian crude inside it; Russia kept less from fuel and goods sold here: UN Comtrade, IMF trade statistics and Eurostat: goods trade with Russia and Ukraine; Russia kept more from war-time fuel prices: War-time price windfall on Russian fuel: payments minus the same volume at the prices a no-war market expected (pre-invasion forecasts and futures: IMF, World Bank, EIA, ECB, ICE). The map's panel lists every one, with its documents.

Does Namibia have sanctions on Russia?

We found no sanctions of Namibia's own against Russia (checked 27 October 2026). This says nothing about whether firms there follow other countries' sanctions. Russia's list of “unfriendly” states does not name Namibia.

Nearby in the ranking

Leaning toward Russia

  1. Egypt−0.43%Leaning toward Russia · −€1.7bn · 95%
  2. Marshall Islands−0.71%Leaning toward Russia · −€2m · 78%
  3. United Arab Emirates−0.71%Leaning toward Russia · −€3.5bn · 97%
  4. Namibia−0.83%Leaning toward Russia · −€100m · 77%
  5. Mozambique−0.85%Leaning toward Russia · −€165m · 68%
  6. Serbia−1.4%Leaning toward Russia · −€1.1bn · 84%
  7. Gambia−1.5%Leaning toward Russia · −€33m · 88%

More about Namibia

Every country, by year

11 sources in all; the map's panel lists every one, with its documents. Open in the map · How this is measured

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Cite as: War Balance, figures to August 2026, https://warbalance.org/country/namibia/