Putin challenged the West on Wednesday with a full cut in energy supplies if it attempted to restrict Russian export prices.
- The White House has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “weaponizing” energy.
- G7 finance ministers vowed to limit Russia’s revenue from oil sales.
- US sanctions have never targeted humanitarian aid.
The White House has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “weaponizing” the country’s energy resources, a day after threatening to cut off all energy exports to the West if the US went ahead with its oil price cap.
Putin challenged the West on Wednesday with a full cut in energy supplies if it attempted to restrict Russian export prices. He also promised to continue Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine until its objectives were met.
“This demonstrates that Putin is once again weaponizing energy, both verbally and physically.” However, the President (Joe Biden) and our European associates predicted this strategy. We anticipated this and had been planning for months.
“We’ve spoken through the various processes of how this price cap could appear,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at her daily news conference on Wednesday.
Last week, G7 finance ministers vowed to set up a system to limit Russia’s revenue from oil sales, which it could use to fund its war in Ukraine.
The step by the world’s seven most developed countries was also intended to minimize the impact of the Ukraine conflict on rising global energy prices.
A task force was formed to decrease Russian energy
She stated that the United States and the European Union have formed a task force to investigate ways to increase alternative sources of natural gas to Europe and help decrease Europe’s demand for Russian energy through improved productivity and clean energy deployment.
“That is something we will keep doing to assist Europe as they enter the winter season.” However, as we have seen, the task force process has already had a positive impact. By the critical winter heating season, Europe’s gas supply will be exhausted.
Despite Russian cuts, Germany will meet its target for gas storage ahead of time. And Europe as a whole will perform significantly better than last year, “she predicted.”
“We had planned for this. We were aware that this was to be part of the plan, with Russia weaponizing energy as they have been for several months, and we will be ready for it,” the press secretary said.
In the meantime, at a separate press conference, State Department Deputy Press Secretary Vedant Patel told journalists that the Black Sea Grain Initiative is a humanitarian effort to bring much-needed food to the world’s needy.
“The US offered no sanctions relief in return for Russia’s involvement in the Black Sea Grain Initiative.” Indeed, US sanctions have always included clear exemptions for food and fertiliser, and our sanctions have never targeted humanitarian aid, “he clearly stated.”
“We wish to see food and fertiliser reach global markets. And Russia must continue to fulfil its obligations under the Black Grain Sea Initiative.
Some of the other claims we’ve seen, such as the one that global food prices are rising, are simply false. Indeed, as a result of the Black Sea Port agreement, global food prices have declined,” he said.
