US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Sunday that the United States and its European partners were considering banning Russian oil imports, but stressed the importance of stabilizing global crude supplies.
"Now we are in very active discussions with our European partners about banning Russian oil imports into our country, while, of course, at the same time we maintain a stable global supply of oil," Blinken added - in an interview with NBC.
Blinken, who is currently on a tour of Europe to coordinate with allies to confront Russia's war on Ukraine, said he discussed the issue of oil imports with President Joe Biden and the US administration on Saturday.
Blinken's comments came as oil prices rose over the past week after the United States and its allies imposed sanctions on Russia in the wake of its war on Ukraine.
Asked whether the United States unilaterally ruled out a ban on Russian oil imports, Blinken said, "I wouldn't rule out taking action one way or the other, no matter what they do, every step we take begins with coordination with allies and partners."
The United States imported, on average, more than 20.4 million barrels per month of crude oil and its refined products during 2021 from Russia, about 8 percent of U.S. liquid fuel imports, according to the Energy Information Administration.