US Chief of Diplomacy Anthony Blinken said the US government is “actively discussing” with Europe the possibility of banning Russian oil imports, as the White House is under pressure from lawmakers to adopt the measure amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We are talking with our European partners and allies to consider, in a coordinated manner, the idea of banning the import of Russian oil while at the same time ensuring that we have sufficient supplies of oil on world markets,” Blinken said. During an interview with CNN during a trip to Europe.
Senators, Republicans and Democrats, introduced a bill to ban such imports. President Joe Biden He stated that he “doesn’t rule out anything”.
When CNN questioned European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about the topic, she was more circumspect.
Referring to the goal of “making it impossible for (Vladimir) Putin to finance his wars”, she considered that the European Union “should get rid of dependence on fuel Russian excavations.
The issue is more complex for Europe, where Russia supplies 40% of the gas consumed on the continent, while for the United States it is responsible for 8% of total imports of oil products, crude or refined, according to expert Andy Lipow, who uses data from the International Energy Agency in 2021.
