U.S., Europeans discussing banning Russian oil imports, Blinken says

By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON – America and European companions are exploring banning Russian oil imports, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Sunday, however burdened the significance of regular oil provides globally.

“We are actually in very energetic discussions with our European companions about banning the import of Russian oil to our nations, whereas in fact, on the similar time, sustaining a gradual international provide of oil,” Blinken stated in an interview with NBC‘s “Meet the Press” present.

Blinken, who's at the moment on a visit throughout Europe to coordinate with allies in opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, added that he mentioned oil imports with President Joe Biden and his cupboard on Saturday.

Blinken’s feedback got here as oil costs have soared over the previous week after the US and its allies sanctioned Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the White Home slapped sanctions on exports of applied sciences to Russia’s refineries and the Nord Stream 2 gasoline pipeline, which has by no means launched. Up to now, it has stopped wanting focusing on Russia’s oil and gasoline exports because the Biden administration weighs the impacts on international oil markets and U.S. vitality costs.

Requested if the US has dominated out banning Russian oil imports unilaterally, Blinken stated: I’m not going to rule out taking motion a technique or one other, regardless of what they do, however the whole lot we’ve achieved, the method begins with coordinating with allies and companions,” Blinken stated.

People are by far the world’s heaviest shoppers of gasoline, because of huge vehicles, lengthy driving distances and little public transportation in lots of areas, and rising gasoline costs have historically been political poison for U.S. leaders.

America imported greater than 20.4 million barrels of crude and refined merchandise a month on common in 2021 from Russia, about 8% of U.S. liquid gas imports, in accordance with the Vitality Data Administration (EIA).