US in talks with Europe to ban Russian oil, says Blinken

Stefania Palma in Washington

The US is in “very active discussions” with European partners to ban imports of Russian oil in a co-ordinated manner, according to the US secretary of state.

The move would mark an about-turn by the White House, which had rejected bipartisan calls to ban Russian oil imports into the US, saying an embargo would limit global supply and raise prices for consumers.

Antony Blinken told NBC on Sunday that he had spoken to the US president and the cabinet about such a move.

“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.

He added the move was being considered in conjunction with US allies and partners.

“In the first instance, we want to make sure that we’re acting in co-ordination,” 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.”

A European Commission spokesperson said: “There is no comment. We don’t comment until the measures are adopted.”