The United States and Britain announced Tuesday they were cutting off Russian energy imports while multinationals Shell and BP said they would halt new oil and gas purchases.
WASHINGTON, United States — The United States and Britain announced Tuesday they were cutting off Russian energy imports while multinationals Shell and BP said they would halt new oil and gas purchases, in a major tightening of the economic chokehold on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Oil giants Shell and BP, both based in Britain, said they would stop buying Russian oil and natural gas immediately while Shell also pledged to shut down service stations as well as its aviation fuels and lubricants operations. US Speaker Nancy Pelosi told members Sunday that the House of Representatives was exploring a ban, as well as ending trade relations with Russia and Belarus and pushing to curtail Moscow’s access to the World Trade Organization.
The White House will nevertheless have to reassure voters already alarmed over spiraling gasoline prices, which are threatening Democrats’ chances of holding on to Congress in November’s midterm elections.