White House press secretary Jen Psaki poured cold water Thursday on calls for President Joe Biden to ban imports of Russian oil and natural gas.
Psaki was repeatedly asked about the growing bipartisan campaign to squeeze Russia’s energy sector during Thursday’s White House press briefing, but she reiterated that the administration crafted its sanctions package in order to “maximize impact on President Putin while minimizing it on the American people.”
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“I know you’ve heard me say this a few times before, but we don’t have a strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy, and that would raise prices at the gas pump for the American people around the world because it would reduce the supply available, and as simple as less supply raises prices,” she said in one such exchange. “That is certainly a big factor for the president. At this moment, it also has the potential to pad the pockets of President Putin, which is exactly what we are not trying to do.”
She maintained that the carve-outs for Russia’s energy sector should be viewed in conjunction with past efforts by the administration to “degrade Russia’s status as a leading energy supplier over time,” including “shutting down Nord Stream” and helping Europe to “accelerate its diversification from Russian gas.”
Psaki’s comments on Thursday came just one day after Biden himself told reporters that “nothing is off the table” in regard to banning Russian oil imports.
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You can watch Thursday’s entire briefing below.
