Biden Offsets Blame Gas Price Blame as Ukraine Thanks U.S. for Energy Sanctions – Following U.S. President Joe Biden’s announcement that the United States will ban the importation of oil, gas, and all other energy from Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude and optimism that the sanctions could make a big difference.
“Thankful for US and @POTUS personal leadership in striking in the heart of Putin’s war machine and banning oil, gas and coal from US market. Encourage other countries and leaders to follow,” Zelenskyy said on Twitter.
The War on Russian Oil
President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that the U.S. will move ahead with the new energy sanctions, describing the energy industry as the “main artery of Russia’s economy.”
“We are banning all imports of Russian oil, gas and energy. That means that Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at US ports. The American people will deal another powerful blow at (Vladimir) Putin’s war machine,” Biden said at a White House press conference.
Zelenskyy’s praise for the move comes just days after he criticized Western sanctions on Russian financial institutions as insufficient.
“I didn’t hear even a single world leader react to this,” Zelenskyy said in a video statement on Sunday, responding to an announcement from the Russian Defense Ministry that it would strike the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.
“The audacity of the aggressor is a clear signal to the West that the sanctions imposed on Russia are not sufficient,” Zelenskyy said, after Russia warned Ukrainian employees at defense plants not to go to work.
Oil Drama: Biden Offsets Blame for Rising Gas Prices
Announcing the new sanctions, President Joe Biden warned the American people that “defending freedom is going to cost.”
With national gas price averages hitting a new record on Monday, rising 10 cents on the gallon to a record $4.17 on average per gallon, experts warn that prices could easily surpass $5 per gallon on average. GasBuddy, a tech company that helps users find gas stations with the cheapest prices, predicts that prices will continue to rise throughout the summer months – with some suggesting that the national average could rise to $4.25 by Memorial Day.
Biden promised on Tuesday to do everything he can to “minimize Putin’s price hike here at home,” in what appeared to be an effort to offset the blame on Russia.
“Russia’s aggression is costing us all. And it’s no time for profiteering or price gouging. I want to be clear about what we’ll not tolerate,” Biden said, adding that “this is a time when we have to do our part.”
Biden did not address comments made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken only last week that energy sanctions on Russia would hurt the United States more than Moscow. Blinken insisted that there was “no strategic interest” in Russian energy sanctions, before changing his tune on Sunday.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and report on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
