LIVE UPDATES FROM RUSSIA AND UKRAINE | Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today.

  • March 7, 2022, 10:47 a.m.

Russia Ukraine Crisis LIVE Updates | The United States and European allies are exploring banning imports of Russian oil, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, and the White House coordinated with key Congressional committees moving forward with their own bans.

Europe relies on Russia for crude oil and natural gas and has become more open to the idea of banning it.

A source familiar with the discussions told Reuters on Sunday that Russian products had been discussed in the past 24 hours, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters on Sunday.

The White House is also talking with the Senate Finance Committee and House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee about a potential ban, the source said.

Still, Blinken also stressed the importance of maintaining steady oil supplies globally.

"We are now in very active discussions with our European partners about banning the import of Russian oil to our countries, while, of course, at the same time, maintaining a steady global supply of oil," Blinken said in an interview on NBC’s "Meet the Press."

Blinken, who is on a trip across Europe to coordinate with allies the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, also said he discussed oil imports with President Joe Biden and his cabinet on Saturday.

Oil prices have soared over the past week after the United States and its allies sanctioned Russia over the invasion. 

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a bill on Thursday to ban U.S. imports of Russian oil. The bill is getting fast tracked and could ultimately become the vehicle for the sanctions.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the White House slapped sanctions on exports of technologies to Russia’s refineries and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which has never been launched.

So far, it has stopped short of targeting Russia’s oil and gas exports as the Biden administration weighs the impacts on global oil markets and U.S. energy prices.

Asked if the United States has ruled out unilaterally banning Russian oil imports, Blinken said: "I’m not going to rule out taking action one way or another, irrespective of what they do, but everything we’ve done, the approach starts with coordinating with allies and partners," Blinken said.

He said there were a series of additional measures that the United States was looking at to increase the pressure on Russia, but he did not provide any details on what the new measures would be.

Americans are by far the world’s heaviest consumers of gasoline, thanks to big cars, long driving distances, and little public transportation in many areas. Rising gas prices have traditionally been political poison for U.S. leaders.

The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline hit $4.009 on Sunday, the highest level since July 2008, according to AAA. Consumers are currently paying 40 cents more than a week ago, and 57 cents more than a month ago.

The United States imported more than 20.4 million barrels of crude and refined products a month on average in 2021 from Russia, about 8% of U.S. liquid fuel imports, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

March 07, 2022 / 09:59 AM IST Russia,

Ukraine News LIVE Updates | PM Modi to speak to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky today A source familiar with the discussions told Reuters on Sunday that

Europe relies on Russia for crude oil and natural gas but has become more open to the idea of banning Russian products in the past 24 hours, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

Russia Ukraine Crisis LIVE Updates | The United States and European allies are exploring banning imports of Russian oil, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, and the White House coordinated with key Congressional committees moving forward with their own bans. A source familiar with the discussions told Reuters on Sunday that Europe

relies on Russia for crude oil and natural gas but has become more open to the idea of banning

 Russian products in the past 24 hours.

The White House is also talking with the Senate Finance Committee and House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee about a potential ban, the source said.

Still, Blinken also stressed the importance of maintaining steady oil supplies globally.

"We are now in very active discussions with our European partners about banning the import of Russian oil to our countries, while, of course, at the same time, maintaining a steady global supply of oil," Blinken said in an interview on NBC’s "Meet the Press."

Blinken, who is on a trip across Europe to coordinate with allies the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, also said he discussed oil imports with President Joe Biden and his cabinet on Saturday.

Oil prices have soared over the past week after the United States and its allies sanctioned Russia over the invasion.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a bill on Thursday to ban U.S. imports of Russian oil. The bill is getting fast tracked and could ultimately become the vehicle for the sanctions.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the White House slapped sanctions on exports of technologies to Russia’s refineries and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which has never been launched.

So far, it has stopped short of targeting Russia’s oil and gas exports as the Biden administration weighs the impacts on global oil markets and U.S. energy prices.

Asked if the United States has ruled out unilaterally banning Russian oil imports unilaterally, Blinken said: "I’m not going to rule out taking action one way or another, irrespective of what they do, but everything we’ve done, the approach starts with coordinating with allies and partners," Blinken said.

He said there were a series of additional measures that the United States was looking at to increase the pressure on Russia, but he did not provide any details on what the new measures would be.

Americans are by far the world’s heaviest consumers of gasoline, thanks to big cars, long driving distances, and little public transportation in many areas. Rising gas prices have traditionally been political poison for U.S. leaders.

The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline hit $4.009 on Sunday, the highest level since July 2008, according to AAA. Consumers are currently paying 40 cents more than a week ago, and 57 cents more than a month ago.

The United States imported more than 20.4 million barrels of crude and refined products a month on average in 2021 from Russia, about 8% of U.S. liquid fuel imports, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Russia-Ukraine war

HIGHLIGHTS

  • 10:14 AM ISTUkrainians

    trapped in besieged city as fighting blocks evacuation efforts

  • 09:59 AM IST

    West asks for Russia to be suspended from Interpol

  • 09:50 AM ISTUkraine war a

    'moment of choice for China': Australian PM Scott Morrison

  • 09:41 AM IST

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia sanctions not sufficient

  • 09:30 AM IST

  • China says most of its citizens evacuated from Ukraine

  • 09:12 AM IST

    US officials say Russia recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine

  • 09:00 AM IST

    New Zealand expands sanctions on Russia over Ukraine invasion

  • 08:50 AM IST

    US Congress to allocate $10 billion emergency funding for Ukraine

  • 08:40 AM IST

    Gold rises above $2,000 an ounce on soaring Ukraine fears

  • 08:30 AM IST

    Russia is tightening its grip on Ukraine nuclear plant, says UN watchdog

  • 08:20 AM IST

    What to know as war enters 12th day

  • 08:10 AM IST

  • UN chief Antonio Guterres calls for pause in fighting in Ukraine to allow safe passage of civilians caught in conflict in Sumy, Kharkiv

  • 08:00 AM ISTUkraine says

    Russia steps up shelling of residential areas

  • 07:52 AM IST

    TikTok suspends livestreaming, new uploads in Russia

  • 07:39 AM IST

    American Express suspends operations in Russia, Belarus

  • 07:30 AM IST

    Russian banks rush to switch to Chinese card system

  • 07:20 AM IST

  • More than 4,300 detained at anti-war protests in Russia

  • 07:10 AM ISTRussian

  • war in world’s ‘breadbasket’ threatens food supply

  • 07:01 AM IST

    US gasoline prices soar to highest since 2008 on Russia conflict

  • 06:50 AM ISTUkraine

    and Russia to face off at World Court over genocide claim

  • 06:39 AM IST

  • Fighting traps residents in Mariupol; Vladimir Putin calls on Ukraine to surrender

  • 06:30 AM IST

  • Britain pledges $100 million to help keep Ukrainian state running

  • 06:21 AM IST

  • US, European allies discuss banning imports of Russian oil

  • MARCH 07, 2022 / 10:14 AM ISTRussia

  • Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Ukrainians trapped in besieged city as fighting blocks evacuation efforts

    About 200,000 people remained trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol on Monday after fighting stopped evacuation efforts over the weekend, with no sign that massive international sanctions were deterring Moscow from its invasion of Ukraine. Oil prices soared to their highest levels since 2008 in Asian trade after the Biden administration said it was exploring banning imports of Russian oil. Russia provides 7% of global supply.Japan,

    which counts Russia as its fifth-biggest supplier of crude oil, is also in discussion with the United States and European countries about possibly banning Russian oil imports, Kyodo News reported on Monday. Russia's invasion has been condemned around the world, sent more than 1.5 million Ukrainians fleeing abroad, and triggered sweeping Western-led sanctions aimed at crippling the Russian economy.

    Most people trapped in the port city of Mariupol are sleeping underground to escape more than six days of shelling by Russian forces that has cut off food, water, power and heating supplies, according to the Ukrainian authorities. About half of the 400,000 people in the city were due to be evacuated on Sunday but that effort was aborted for a second day when a ceasefire plan collapsed.

  • 07, 2022 / 09:59 AM ISTRussia

    Ukraine News LIVE Updates | West asks for Russia to be suspended from Interpol

    Several Western countries, including the UK and the United States, have called on Interpol to suspend Russia from the international law enforcement organisation, according to British Home Secretary Priti Patel. The UK, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have requested "the immediate suspension of Russia's access to its systems", Patel tweeted on Sunday.

    The grouping asked Interpol's executive committee to make a decision this week. "Russia's actions are a direct threat to the safety of individuals and to international law enforcement cooperation," Patel added. While Patel did not specify the reason for the request, Western allies have been seeking to diplomatically and economically isolate Moscow over its invasion of Eastern European neighbour Ukraine.

    On Sunday, US chief diplomat Antony Blinken said Washington had seen "very credible reports" that Russia had committed war crimes during the incursion, particularly in the treatment of civilians.  At the UN Human Rights Council last week, members overwhelmingly voted to establish an investigation into allegations of abuses committed by Moscow's forces in Ukraine. Interpol, a network of 194 member countries, aims to facilitate the policing of international crimes.

 

  • MARCH 07, 2022 / 09:51 AM IST Russia,

    Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Sensex tanks 1,669.12 points, Nifty around 15,800 dragged by auto, banks

    Indian indices opened gap-down on March 7 with Nifty below 15,900 amid weak global cues. At 09:16 IST, the Sensex was down 1,326.62 points or 2.44% at 53007.19, and the Nifty was down 357.40 points or 2.20% at 15888. About 561 shares have advanced, 1588 shares declined, and 121 shares are unchanged. Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, Eicher Motors and ICICI Bank were among major losers on the Nifty, while gainers included ONGC, Coal India, Hindalco Industries and Tata Steel

  • 07, 2022 / 09:50 AM ISTRussia

    Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Ukraine war a 'moment of choice for China': Australian PM Scott Morrison

    Australia's prime minister called Russia's invasion of Ukraine "a moment of choice for China" Monday, urging Beijing to end its tacit political and economic support for the war. Scott Morrison pressed China to shape the actions of its Russian ally and prove that Beijing is committed to global peace and the principle of sovereignty.

    "No country would have a greater impact right now on Russia's violent aggression towards Ukraine than China," Morrison told the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based foreign policy think tank. "The crisis that now grips Europe heralds a moment of choice for China," he said. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met in Beijing days before the war in Ukraine began, pledging friendship with "no limits".

    Since then, China has avoided direct criticism of the war, expressed sympathy for Russia's justifications and refused to join Western sanctions.  Morrison accused Beijing of throwing Russia "an economic lifeline" by relaxing trade restrictions on the import of Russian wheat. He also voiced concern that a Chinese firm may step in to replace Visa and Mastercard services that have been frozen in Russia.

    •  
  • 07, 2022 / 09:41 AM ISTRussia

    Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia sanctions not sufficient

    As Russian forces increased their shelling of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the West to strengthen sanctions. In a video statement Sunday evening, Zelenskyy heaped criticism on Western leaders for not responding to the Russian Defense Ministry's announcement that it would strike Ukraine's military-industrial complex, while telling employees of these defense plants not to go to work.

    I didn't hear even a single world leader react to this, Zelenskyy said. The audacity of the aggressor is a clear signal to the West that the sanctions imposed on Russia are not sufficient. Zelenskyy called for organizing a tribunal to bring to justice those who order and carry out such crimes. Think about the sense of impunity of the occupiers that they can announce such planned atrocities, he said. The Russian Defence Ministry announced Sunday that its forces intend to strike Ukraine's military-industrial complex with what it said were precision weapons. We urge all personnel of Ukrainian defense industry plants... to leave the territory of their enterprises, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement carried by the state news agency Tass. 

Author : Rajdhani Delhi Representative

Rajdhani delhi representative

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