President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia’s economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine.
"Today I'm announcing the United States is targeting the main artery of Russia's economy," the president announced from the White House on Tuesday. "We're banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy."
In his remarks, Biden also acknowledged it will bring costs to Americans, particularly at the gas pump. He said, however, that the U.S. "will not be part of subsidizing Putin’s war."
The move follows pleas by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to U.S. and Western officials to cut off the imports. Energy exports have kept a steady influx of cash flowing to Russia despite otherwise severe restrictions on its financial sector.
Read more from NPR: Biden is set to ban imports of Russian oil