The United Kingdom will ban the import of Russian oil over the invasion of Ukraine, with the official announcement expected later on Tuesday, joining the United States in protest.
The ban on Russian oil is expected to take place right away. A concurrent ban on Russian gas is not expected but is still under discussion, according to a report from Politico.
The European Union has also been pressured to join in banning oil from Russia. However, a ban by the E.U. is unexpected, with a longer-term plan to reduce dependence on Russian oil by 80% this year presented as an alternative.
“There are different dependencies in different countries, and we have to [be] mindful of that,” U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. “You can’t simply close down the use of oil and gas overnight, even from Russia.”
Johnson has strongly opposed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “To the people of Ukraine: Slava Ukraini. To the people of Russia: I do not believe this war is in your name. This crisis, this tragedy, can and must come to an end. Because the world needs a free and sovereign Ukraine,” he stated alongside a video on Twitter following the start of Russia’s armed invasion.
To the people of Ukraine: Slava Ukraini.
To the people of Russia: I do not believe this war is in your name.
This crisis, this tragedy, can and must come to an end. Because the world needs a free and sovereign Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/ijbAAb8G67
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 25, 2022
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday resisted calls for bans on Russian oil and gas imports, warning that Europe’s current energy needs “cannot be secured in any other way.”
“At the moment, Europe’s supply of energy for heat generation, mobility, power supply and industry cannot be secured in any other way. It is therefore of essential importance for the provision of public services and the daily lives of our citizens,” Scholz said.
The announcements come as the national average price of gas set a new all-time record on Monday, surpassing the previous record that was set in 2008 when President Joe Biden served as vice president under then-President Barack Obama. The new oil bans in the U.S. and U.K. could further add to the problem. The Daily Wire reported:
“The national average price of gasoline in the U.S. today broke the existing record, rewriting the all-time high to today’s $4.104 per gallon,” GasBuddy reported. “The previous all-time high was set back in 2008 at $4.103 per gallon, just ahead of the U.S. Great Recession and housing crisis.”
GasBuddy, a platform that collects data on fuel prices to save consumers money, added that the price of diesel was “likely to break the record of $4.846 per gallon in the next two weeks.”
“In addition to setting a new all-time high, the national average is seeing its largest ever 7 day spike: 49.1 cents per gallon, eclipsing the 49.0 cent weekly rise after Hurricane Katrina in 2005,” the company’s statement continued. “On Saturday, the U.S. national average gas price surpassed $4 per gallon for the first time since 2008, and Friday’s spike alone came close to the record daily rise of 18 cents per gallon, increasing nearly 16 cents per gallon in one day. Diesel prices, however, did break records on Friday, as diesel soared to its largest daily gain ever: 22.2 cents per gallon, 6 cents higher than the previous record from 2013.”