In an extraordinary response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers said on Monday that they have put forward legislation that would ban imports of Russian energy into the United States and suspend normal trade relations with Russia and its ally Belarus.
The measure is aimed at inflicting further financial pain on Russia over Vladimir Putin’s atrocities in Ukraine and to punish Belarus for aiding Moscow in the conflict, The New York Times report.
The legislation also gives President Biden the ability to increase tariffs on products from both countries, according to The Times.
The move comes as Russia continues its bombardment of Ukrainian cities, killing an untold number of civilians.
Although the United States imports just 7 percent of its oil from Russia, the administration has so far avoided banning imports, in part because of worries that it would further accelerate already-high gas prices, The Times noted. But the lawmakers see crippling Russia’s economy as a way to end the ward.
