The US government reported today that it is considering banning the import of oil from Russia as part of the sanctions against Moscow for the military operation launched in Ukraine, a measure that has bipartisan support.
President Joe Biden values options to reduce Russian energy consumption, but we are concerned about the impact of such a decision on families, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday.
The spokeswoman acknowledged that if supply in the global market is reduced, fuel prices will increase, which would impact the northern nation that is experiencing a scenario of inflation.
The day before, the administration denied being interested in adopting a ban of this nature after Republican and Democratic congressmen presented a bill to cancel the purchase of oil from Russia, its derivatives, as well as liquefied natural gas and coal.
When journalists asked Psaki today if the executive’s position had changed, the official pointed out that there is no “strategic interest” in reducing the world supply of crude oil and that is why they are studying ways to abandon imports from Russia without affecting global supply.
After the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, announced the military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to a request from the authorities of the self-proclaimed people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, the West tightened its sanctions against the Eurasian nation in various spheres. .
In its attack, Washington announced the total blockade of 22 Russian entities related to the defense sector, the prohibition of Russian airlines from using US airspace, among other actions to destabilize the economy of the Eurasian giant.
The United States and NATO were for months fueling tensions in Eastern Europe, where they moved part of their troops at a time when Russia had not planned the current military incursion, which, according to the Russian government, does not seek to occupy Ukraine but demilitarize and denazify it.
