President Biden is set to announce a U.S. ban on the import of Russian oil because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The ban would mark a divergence in U.S. sanctions from those of its allies and partners, most of whom rely on Russian oil imports.
Biden is expected to speak at 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday. NPR will carry live coverage, which will be streamed below.
The White House had initially resisted the move, saying it was trying to avoid actions that would reduce global energy supplies or push up prices for Western consumers even more. Oil prices hit a 14-year high on Monday ahead of the announcement, and U.S. gasoline prices are near a national record. Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, inflation — at its highest level in decades — had become the top issue on the minds of voters ahead of elections this November that will determine whether Democrats hold on to their narrow majority in Congress.
The United States counts on Russian oil for less than 10% of its imports, but those sales were too much for many Democrats and Republicans in Congress, who pushed for the ban — which was among the requests for assistance from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a video call with U.S. lawmakers on the weekend.
