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President Joe Biden officially banned Russian oil and natural gas imports to the United States, in a new economic pressure move against Vladimir Putin whom he seeks to deprive of a key source of revenue following his violent invasion against Ukraine.
“We are banning all imports of Russian oil, gas and energy, which means Russian crude will no longer be accepted at American ports and because of that, U.S. citizens will deal a new and powerful blow to Putin’s war machine,” the president said Tuesday morning from the White House.
Russian oil: between agreements and dependence
Biden’s decision opens up a new front among Western efforts to punish Russia, after its Central Bank, major banks, government officials and oligarchs were targeted by the free world with heavy economic sanctions.
“We made this decision in close consultation with our allies and partners around the world, particularly in Europe, because a united response against Putin’s aggression has been my primary focus in keeping NATO, the European Union and our allies fully united,” Biden added in his address.
The president clarified later, however, that his decision is based on that not all allies, especially in Europe, will be able to join the measure given the dependence of many of those countries on Russian energy sources.
“The U.S. produces far more oil domestically than all European countries combined,” he said in this regard.
He also added that his administration is working with allies in Europe to reduce their dependence on Russian energy in the long term.
