US in ‘active’ discussions with allies to ban Russian oil imports

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States is talking to its European allies about banning Russian oil imports.

The United States has said it was in “active discussions” with its European allies about banning Russian oil imports as a further economic penalty on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine."We are currently in exceptionally dynamic conversations with our European accomplices about forbidding the import of Russian oil to our nations, while obviously simultaneously keeping a consistent worldwide stock of oil," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the NBC syndicated program Meet the Press on Sunday.

Before the end of last week, the White House said it was searching for ways of diminishing US utilization of Russian oil while safeguarding American families from cost climbs, yet pressure has mounted on Western countries to remove Russian energy imports as a method for fixing the screws on the Kremlin.

"The moves we've made to date devastatingly affect the Russian economy," Blinken added, alluding to gnawing sanctions that have financially disengaged Russia and its President Vladimir Putin.

With Western nations mulling the prospect of a boycott, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba waded into the debate to strongly stress that choking off Russia’s oil exports is crucial.

Asked Sunday on CNN about Shell’s announcement that it continued to buy Russian oil – and donate the profits to Ukrainian causes – Kuleba urged Shell and other energy giants to cut off Moscow’s biggest revenue source and “stop buying Russian oil”.

 “Russian oil and gas smell of Ukrainian blood,” he said.

 European and British gas prices surged to record peaks last week on supply disruption fears. And oil prices continued to push higher, with Brent futures ending at $118.11 a barrel, the highest level since 2008.

Like Blinken, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has talked about sloping up sanctions on Russia, didn't completely advocate a by and the large prohibition on Russian oil - essentially not yet.SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

"The objective is to detach Russia and to make it unthinkable for Putin to fund his conflicts," she told CNN on Sunday. "As far as we might be concerned, there is a solid procedure now to say we need to dispose of the reliance of non-renewable energy sources from Russia."

US officials have straightforwardly searched a hard and fast blacklist, with Republican and Democratic congresspersons last week encouraging President Joe Biden to prohibit oil imports from Russia. 

Americans are by a wide margin the world's heaviest customers of petroleum, on account of huge vehicles, long driving distances, and minimal public transportation in numerous areas, and rising petroleum costs have generally been political toxic substances for US pioneers. Buyers are paying 40 pennies over seven days prior for petroleum, and 57 pennies over a month prior.

The US imported more than 20.4 million barrels of rough and refined items a month on normal in 2021 from Russia, about 8 percent of US liquid fuel imports, according to the Energy Information Administration.