WASHINGTON: The United States is open to imposing sanctions on Russia's oil and gas flows but going after its exports now could help Moscow, the White House said on Wednesday as oil prices surged to an 11-year high and supply disruptions mounted.
The administration warned it could block Russian oil if Moscow heightens aggression against Ukraine."It’s very much on the table, but we need to weigh what all of the impacts will be," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told MSNBC earlier on Wednesday. "There are other producers in the world that could backfill for any Russian oil we don't import," Singh said.Ukraine invasion: Live updates - Russian attacks continue; probe into possible war crimes opens
And some US lawmakers have pushed legislation that analysts said could lead to higher gasoline prices. The United States did slap sanctions on Russia's oil refineries, banning the export of specific technologies, a move that could make it harder for Russia to modernise those plants.
It's a bit contradictory to claim that the US would do what is necessary, then continue to import oil from Russia.