President Biden Imposes Ban on Russian Oil.

President Biden announced, Tuesday, that the United States will impose a ban on all Russian oil, in an attempt to hold Vladimir Putin “accountable.”

By: Mo Gerstley

Within the first 48 hours of taking over the presidency last year, US President Joe Biden signed a series of executive orders that curtailed US oil production and forced America to rely on foreign oil. The legislation allowed for government agencies like the EPA and more predominantly, OPEC to manipulate the free market price of crude oil by setting caps on the oil production drilled by US companies. This, along with the suspension of the ongoing production of TC Energy’s Keystone XL pipeline, peeved oil tycoons and executives at major drilling companies and subsequently led to the widespread pause in domestic drilling. Those efforts were made in the administration's pursuit of transitioning “to a chole-less, and gas-less world.” The problem though is that nearly all of the 225 million Americans that drive cars need petroleum daily, and for much of those people, purchasing electric vehicles or choosing other environmentally-friendly alternatives are not a viable option.

Regardless, the Biden Administration, Tuesday announced a move to ban all oil imports from Russia, a move that will certainly lead to a massive rise in gas prices. The ban was meant to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from escalating the continuing crisis in Ukraine, but it won't only hurt Russians. In early January of 2022, a gallon of gasoline cost approximately $3.02, higher than it was at the same time the previous four years. However, by early March 2022, prices in much of the US had risen to a stunning $4.05 which amounts to almost $49 when multiplied by 12, which is the average amount of gallons Americans purchase for a regular-sized automobile. Now, experts predict that due to the lack of imports from Russia, prices will likely skyrocket even more. Americans cannot afford to pay this much for gas, and with inflation rising, other basic necessities will be costly for citizens. Russia is the top importer of gas and oil to the US out of any country on the planet, with much of its 9,865,495 barrels produced each year, going directly to the US. Without those barrels of oil being imported to the US, and efforts by the Biden administration to pause federal drilling programs, it is becoming harder and harder to find affordable gas.

While the administration claims that the efforts are in place in order to create climate-friendly legislature, reports indicate that the Biden Administration is planning on issuing a plea to top Saudi Arabian officials, asking the Middle Eastern nation to produce and import more oil to the US, later this year. This is a clear indication that the US does not intend to reduce the overall carbon footprint worldwide, nor do they care to deter reckless actions that negatively affect the atmosphere. Rather, they care about pitching flashy headlines to US media, that will subsequently gain the support of radical left-wingers. Headlines like, “Biden’s amazing climate triumph,” from the Atlantic is the sole reason for ludicrous legislation like that passed by the Biden Administration. They do not intend to legitimately solve the climate crisis, and anyone who says otherwise is either lying or foolish.