Blinken: US in ‘Active’ Talks With European Allies About Banning Russian Oil Imports

The United States is having “very active discussions” with its European allies about banning the importing of Russian oil, while “at the same time maintaining a steady global supply of oil,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday.

Bipartisan calls have been mounting for the administration to add Russian energy exports to the target list of sanctions in response to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and late last week the White House signaled a shift in its stance on the matter.

“I spoke to the president and the cabinet, the leading members of the cabinet, about this just yesterday from Europe,” Blinken told NBC’s “Meet the Press” from Moldova, the third of six countries he is visiting in Europe this week in response to Putin’s war.

“And we are now in very active discussions with our European partners about banning the import of Russian oil to our countries while, of course, at the same time maintaining a steady global supply of oil,” he added.