EDITORIAL: Cut Off Russian Oil Now, It Is the Least We Can Do for Ukraine (Really the Least)
Monday, March 07, 2022
The petulant, evil dictator Vladimir Putin is slaughtering civilians across Ukraine — this includes children and the elderly.
On Saturday, many saw the footage of a couple racing into a Ukraine hospital carrying their 18-month old boy - the small child died from injuries caused by Russian bombings. He is just one of many of thousands.
The parallels between now and 1939 are daunting.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTToday, Ukrainians are dying for Western European countries and the United States — they are our human shield, but may only be a speed bump to Russian expansion.
In a video conference call on Saturday with hundreds of members of the United States Congress, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for the U.S. and the other NATO nations to institute a no-fly zone to slow the carnage.
Members of Congress seem unmoved to address his plea, but were heavy on tweeting about the call. Our own Sheldon Whitehouse tweeted, "Stunning to be on with Zelenskyy in the midst of all this. God bless him and his people.”
But Whitehouse made no mention of Zelenskyy’s plea for the no-fly zone.
Langevin too bragged in a press release, “I was grateful for today's opportunity to speak with President Zelenskyy, during which my colleagues and I reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to freedom and democracy in Ukraine. President Zelenskyy shared the latest updates on the unprovoked and premeditated Russian invasion of Ukraine, and he thanked Congress and the Biden Administration for the United States' support for Ukraine, particularly the unprecedented sanctions regime enacted thus far. It is heartbreaking to hear of the devastation on the ground -- we must continue to support the brave people of Ukraine in their struggle for a peaceful, sovereign nation.”
Langevin too failed to mention the Ukrainian President’s plea for the NATO nations to stop the air assaults. The definition of "ironclad" must mean something different in Congress.
“Zelensky’s message is simple: ‘Close the skies or give us planes,’” Senator Ben Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, said in a statement after the meeting. “Let’s be clear-eyed about our options: A no-fly zone means sending American pilots into combat against Russian jets and air defenses — in a battle between nuclear powers that could spiral out of control quickly.”
President Joe Biden has refused to stop the purchase of Russian oil. Late last week, he said that may be revisited.
Zelensky told lawmakers that a ban on Russian oil would be “even more powerful” than removing some Russian banks from the SWIFT financial messaging system, according to Republican Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, as reported by the New York Times.
In 2021, the U.S. imported an average of 209,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and 500,000 bpd of other petroleum products from Russia, according to the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) trade association.
"This represented three percent of U.S. crude oil imports and one percent of the total crude oil processed by U.S. refineries. By contrast, the U.S. imported 61 percent of its crude oil from Canada, 10 percent from Mexico, and six percent from Saudi Arabia in the same year," according to Al Jazeera.
Yes, banning Russian oil will increase gas prices, but it will continue to put economic pressure on Russia.
And no, it won't be "Brandon's" fault.
The reality is Putin must be stopped in Ukraine.
If not, we may be faced with a far more gruesome reality involving the deaths of American troops.
Gas prices will be the least of our worries.
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