Ukraine: Joe Biden announces 'powerful blow' as US bans all Russian oil imports
Ukrainians cross an improvised path under a destroyed bridge while fleeing Irpin, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. Picture: AP Photo/Felipe Dana
Joe Biden has announced the US will ban all Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia’s economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, but he acknowledged it will bring costs to Americans, particularly at the petrol pump.
The action follows pleas by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to western officials to cut off the imports, which had been a glaring omission in massive sanctions put in place on Russia.
Energy exports have kept a steady stream of cash flowing to Russia despite otherwise severe restrictions on its financial sector.
“We will not be part of subsidising Putin’s war,” Mr Biden said, calling the new action a “powerful blow” against Moscow’s ability to fund the offensive.
He warned that Americans will see rising prices.
The US president said the US was acting in close consultation with European allies, who are more dependent on Russian energy supplies.
The European Union will this week commit to phasing out its reliance on Russia for energy needs as soon as possible, but filling the void without crippling EU economies is likely to take some time.
Unlike the US, which is a major oil and gas producer, Europe relies on imports for 90% of its gas and 97% of its oil products. Russia supplies 40% of Europe’s gas and a quarter of its oil.
The US does not import Russian natural gas.
The issue of oil sanctions has created a conflict for the president between political interests at home and efforts to impose costs on Russia.
Though Russian oil makes up only a small part of US imports, Mr Biden had said he was reluctant to ban it, cutting into supplies here and pushing petrol prices higher.
In a tweet, President Zelenskyy thanked President Biden for his "personal leadership" in making the decision.
"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," he said.
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.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 8, 2022
US inflation is at a 40-year peak, fuelled in large part by fuel prices, and that could hurt Mr Biden heading into the November mid-term elections.
Prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector.
The average price for a gallon of petrol in the US hit a record 4.17 dollars (£3.18) on Tuesday, according to auto club AAA.
Even before the US ban many western energy companies including ExxonMobil and BP moved to cut ties with the Russia and limit imports. Shell, which purchased a shipment of Russian oil this weekend, apologised for the move on Tuesday amid international criticism and pledged to halt further purchases of Russian energy supplies.
Preliminary data from the US Energy Department shows imports of Russian crude dropped to zero in the last week in February.
We will also help consumers and businesses face increased energy prices and prepare for next winter:
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) March 8, 2022
• More guidance on price regulation for consumers
• Potential new State Aid Temporary Framework for businesses
• Upcoming proposal on minimum gas storage to secure supply pic.twitter.com/uZ27ijAMED
In 2021, the US imported roughly 245 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia.
The 27 EU leaders will meet near Paris for a two-day summit from Thursday and will be working on ways to reduce their dependency on Moscow for fossil fuels.
“We agreed to phase out our dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports,” said a draft of the summit declaration.
The European Commission already has proposals to make it happen, including diversifying natural gas supplies and speeding up renewable energy development.
The EU’s executive arm said its measures “can reduce EU demand for Russian gas by two-thirds before the end of the year”.
“We must become independent from Russian oil, coal and gas,” commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “We simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us.”
The EU imports 90% of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40% of EU gas and a quarter of its oil.
Russian shelling puts effort to relieve besieged Ukrainian port in jeopardy
Buses have carried civilians out of an embattled Ukrainian city along a safe corridor agreed by the warring sides, but a parallel effort to relieve the besieged port of Mariupol was thrown into jeopardy by reports of renewed Russian shelling.
Europe’s worst refugee crisis since the Second World War grew even more severe, with UN officials reporting that two million people have now fled Ukraine.
Moscow’s forces have laid siege to Ukrainian cities and cut off food, water, heat and medicine in a growing humanitarian disaster, but for days, attempts to create corridors to safely evacuate civilians have stumbled amid continuing fighting and objections to the proposed routes.
Nearly two weeks into the fighting, Russian forces have captured a stretch of southern and coastal Ukraine but have seen their advances stopped in many areas — including around Kyiv, the capital — by Ukrainian fighters targeting Moscow’s armoured columns.
Thousands of people are thought to have been killed – civilians and soldiers – although the actual number remains unknown.
The fighting has caused global economic turmoil, with energy prices surging worldwide and stocks plummeting. It also threatens the food supply of millions around the globe who rely on crops farmed in the Black Sea region.
Western countries have rushed weapons to Ukraine and moved to slap Vladimir Putin’s Russia with sanctions.
In a further effort to punish Russia, US President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil imports, and Shell announced it will stop buying oil and gas from Russia.
Elsewhere, Poland says it is ready to immediately transfer all its MiG-29 planes free of charge to the United States government as part of a move to give the planes for use by the Ukrainian air force to repel the Russian invasion.
Ukraine’s military said its forces continued defence operations in the Mariupol suburbs.
The military said “demoralised” Russian forces were looting, commandeering civilian buildings and setting up firing positions in populated areas.
The battle for Mariupol is crucial because its capture could allow Moscow to establish a land corridor to Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014.
Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of the Kyiv region, said Ukraine was also making arrangements to get people out of the suburb of Irpin.
Elsewhere, Poland says it is ready to immediately transfer all its MiG-29 planes free of charge to the United States government as part of a move to give the planes for use by the Ukrainian air force to repel the Russian invasion.
Late on Tuesday, Mr Zelensky released a video showing him standing near the presidential offices in Kyiv. Behind him were piles of sandbags, a snow-dusted tree and a few cars.
It was the second video in 24 hours showing him near the country’s seat of power, apparently made to dispel any doubts about whether he had fled the city.
“Snow fell. It’s that kind of springtime,” he said in a soft voice. “You see, it’s that kind of wartime, that kind of springtime. Harsh. But we will win.”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invoked Winston Churchill in an emotional address to UK MPs, vowing to fight invading Russian troops in the air, sea and on the streets.
In a speech that was greeted before and after by standing ovations, Mr Zelenskyy repeated his call for a no-fly zone to be established by the West, begging for the UK to “make sure that our Ukrainian skies are safe”.
During his address, Mr Zelenskyy – who is said to have to keep his whereabouts a secret due to the threat of assassination in Kyiv – appealed to MPs by quoting from Shakespeare and paraphrasing Churchill.
“We will fight in the forest, in the fields, on the shores, in the streets.”
He also pressed home the desire of Ukrainians for their independence to continue, despite their homeland being under attack by Kremlin forces, with a line from Hamlet.
“The question for us now is to be or not to be,” he said, in a translation by Parliament TV.
“Oh no, this Shakespearean question. For 13 days this question could have been asked but now I can give you a definitive answer. It’s definitely yes, to be.”
The embattled president said Ukraine faced a similar dilemma to the one the UK encountered in the Second World War.
He said the current conflict, in which he said 50 children had been killed, was akin to when Britain “didn’t want to lose your country when the Nazis started to fight your country and you had to fight”.
Boris Johnson, who received a personal thanks from Mr Zelensky for his support, told the commons after the speech that “never before in all our centuries of our parliamentary democracy has the House listened to such an address”.
“In a great European capital now within range of Russian guns, President Volodymyr Zelensky is standing firm for democracy and for freedom,” Mr Johnson said.
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