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US officials identify 3 areas where US may take action soon on Ukraine
The pressing discussions underway amongst prime aides to President Joe Biden and between European allies of the US got here as efforts to evacuate civilians from Ukrainian cities had been stymied by Russian shelling and as Ukraine’s President pleaded with the West to do extra.
High US nationwide safety officers mentioned they had been hurriedly searching for methods to additional punish Putin whereas offering assist to the outgunned Ukrainian army.
White Home and different Western officers have made plain over the previous days they anticipate the approaching stretch of the conflict to be its bloodiest as Putin grows pissed off at Russia’s slower-than-expected advances and seeks methods to grind forward.
“I feel we now have to be ready for this to final for a while,” Blinken mentioned. “However simply successful a battle is just not successful the conflict.”
Harris advised the viewers: “As we speak the eyes of the world are on Ukraine and the courageous people who find themselves combating to guard their nation and their democracy.”
She advised these gathered on the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge that the “bravery” of Ukrainian individuals resisting Russia’s invasion “is a reminder that freedom, and democracy, can by no means be taken without any consideration, by any of us.”
Ban on Russian oil imports
Biden, who’s spending the weekend at his residence in Delaware, convened a telephone name Saturday with prime members of his administration to debate a possible ban on Russian oil imports, Blinken mentioned, a step that has been into consideration on the White Home since final final week.
“We at the moment are speaking to our European companions and allies to look in a coordinated manner on the prospect of banning the import of Russian oil, whereas ensuring that there’s a nonetheless an applicable provide of oil on world markets,” Blinken mentioned. “That is a really lively dialogue as we communicate.”
Biden has confronted stress from Democrats and Republicans alike to impose harder restrictions on Russia’s power sector, which may show way more damaging than the financial sanctions utilized by the West up to now.
Russian oil imports to the US comprise a comparatively small share of the nation’s total provide, and so they have been declining sharply in current weeks. There’s little doubt Russia would have the ability to promote these provides to different international locations, together with China, if the US stops shopping for them.
Nonetheless, the step can be important, notably since any sanctions utilized to Russia’s power sector had been as soon as thought-about nearly off the desk given the potential ripples on the worldwide oil market. To this point, the US and Europe have largely prevented main steps that would impression Russian power, although the US did ban the import into Russia of apparatus wanted for oil and fuel extraction.
“It is mindless in anyway to proceed to purchase oil from Russia that they use to fund this conflict and this murderous marketing campaign that their endeavor,” Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida advised Tapper on CNN on Sunday morning.
White Home officers at the moment are critically reviewing what a ban may do to home fuel costs, which have hit new highs because the conflict in Ukraine causes oil to spike in value.
Psaki outlined a spread of efforts from the Biden administration to extend manufacturing of pure fuel and oil, however conceded that “home manufacturing has not insulated us from the worth volatility of fossil fuels or the whims of those that management them, corresponding to President Putin. Individuals know that.”
“The one solution to shield US over the long run is to turn out to be power unbiased,” she mentioned, reiterating an administration precedence. “That’s the reason the President is so centered on deploying clear power applied sciences that do not require fossil fuels purchased and offered on the worldwide market, which is able to all the time be weak to dangerous actors.”
Council of Financial Advisers Chair Cecilia Rouse advised reporters at a Friday press briefing, “We’re choices that we will take proper now, if we had been to chop the US consumption of Russian power — however what’s actually most necessary is that we keep a gentle provide of worldwide power.”
White Home officers have mentioned Biden is unlikely to take steps concentrating on Russia’s power sector with out express assist from Europe, which is way extra depending on Russian oil and fuel than america. Talking earlier Sunday, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned work was underway to cut back that dependence.
“It’s extremely clear that, for us, there’s a sturdy technique now to say we now have to do away with the dependency of fossil fuels from Russia,” she advised Tapper on CNN. “Subsequently, we’re simply discussing within the European Union a strategic strategy, a plan, the way to speed up the funding within the renewables, the way to diversify our power provide.”
Potential conflict crimes
As officers assessment a possible ban on Russian oil, there’s a parallel effort underway to evaluate whether or not the concentrating on of civilians underway in Ukraine would represent a conflict crime.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, mentioned Sunday morning the US was “working with our companions to gather and supply data” on potential conflict crimes.
Accounts from the bottom in Ukraine, together with by CNN reporters, have discovered civilian areas that had been shelled. Ukraine has claimed hundreds of civilians have been killed, although different estimates — together with from the UN — have are available in decrease.
“We’ve got seen very credible studies of deliberate assaults on civilians, which might represent a conflict crime. We’ve got seen very credible studies about the usage of sure weapons,” Blinken mentioned Sunday on CNN. “And what we’re doing proper now could be documenting all of this, placing all of it collectively, it, and ensuring that, as individuals and the suitable organizations and establishments examine whether or not conflict crimes have been or are being dedicated, that we will assist no matter they’re doing.”
Polish fighter jets
Wanting that, Zelensky requested for American assist in facilitating the switch of Soviet-era fighter jets from Japanese European nations to Ukraine, the place pilots have been educated to fly them and will use them to regulate the skies.
“We’re working with Poland as we communicate to see if we will backfill something that they supply to the Ukrainians,” Blinken mentioned Sunday. “However we additionally need to see if we may be useful in ensuring that, no matter they supply to Ukrainians, one thing goes to them to make up for any hole within the safety for Poland which may end result.”
Thomas-Greenfield additionally made clear the US had “not in any manner opposed the Polish authorities offering these jets to Ukraine.”
This story has been up to date with feedback from Vice President Kamala Harris and White Home press secretary Jen Psaki.
CNN’s Donald Judd contributed to this report.