The U.S. has banned imports of Russian oil, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday, in an escalation of economic sanctions intended to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for his war in Ukraine.
Oil had been omitted from earlier sanctions to shield consumers from higher fuel costs, but with gas prices surging anyway and Congress likely to force the issue, Biden made the surprise announcement at the White House on Tuesday.
"We're banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy," Biden said.
A bipartisan chorus of lawmakers including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had called on Biden to disallow Russian oil imports.
The administration has hesitated to support a ban without buy-in from European allies that are much more dependent on Russian oil and gas.
"I'm going to do everything I can to minimize Putin's price hike," Biden said. Biden noted that the U.S. and Europe had coordinated to tap their strategic petroleum reserves and said oil and gas companies should not gouge consumers just because they expect higher prices.
Still, 49% of voters said in a Morning Consult survey the government should sanction Russian oil even if it means higher gas prices.
