“Nothing is off the table”
USA consider oil import ban possible
03/04/2022, 11:08 p.m
After the Russian attack on Ukraine, calls for energy sanctions were repeatedly made in the USA. Because the states continue to obtain oil from Russia. US President Biden no longer rules out this option.
In response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the US government has explicitly not ruled out a possible import ban on Russian oil. When asked about such energy sanctions after talks in Brussels, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “Nothing is off the table.” Every day, it is reassessed how the previous sanctions are being implemented and which additional steps are possible. The US and its partners have already imposed various sanctions and punitive measures that many would not have thought possible a few weeks ago.
When asked on Wednesday whether his government was considering a ban on imports of Russian oil as part of the punitive measures against Moscow, US President Joe Biden replied: “Nothing is off the table.” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in Washington: “We are currently evaluating options to reduce our use of Russian energy, but we are very careful to minimize the impact on families.” However, it should be borne in mind that if the supply on the world market is reduced, then gas and oil prices will rise. Biden has that in mind. The aim is to keep the effects of sanctions against Russia on Americans as small as possible.
Cecilia Rouse, chair of the US government headquarters’ Council of Economic Advisers, said the US does not import much Russian oil. But ways are being explored to reduce US consumption of Russian energy. At the end of last year, according to the US authorities, Russia was the fourth most important country for imports of crude oil and petroleum products – behind Canada, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Imports from Russia accounted for almost 5 percent of all US imports in this category.