The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted an outcry from the international community and swift, though, incomplete sanctions from the US and Europe. However, while heavily touted, these sanctions are ineffective because the import of Russian oil is still exempt until, at least, June 24, 2022. More importantly, the continuing use of Russian-imported oil undermines our country’s national security.  The Biden administration must recognize the strategic importance of the oil and gas industry and must accelerate efforts to bolster United States’ own energy independence since the development of our natural resource reserves is vital to both our economy and to world peace.

The rise of oil and gas prices, which started earlier last year, and predates the invasion of Ukraine by at least nine months, is a predictable result of the present administration’s existing fuel policies, which are based on a quixotic desire to both achieve carbon neutrality and increase our total renewable energy output.  Unfortunately, this policy disproportionally hurts low and middle class Americans, while enriching, strengthening and emboldening rogue regimes, such as Russia, Iran and Venezuela. The administration could bolster America’s energy independence by reversing its disastrous anti-fossil-fuel policies, by restarting the Keystone XL pipeline, expediting approvals of natural gas pipelines and LNG facilities, and repealing broad and punitive regulations /restrictions on U.S. oil and gas production.

The current administration expressed its interest in potentially easing the existing sanctions on Venezuela and Iran to limit the export of Russian oil; however, these efforts will not achieve the expected, sustainable result.  For example, given that the current president of Venezuela, Mr. Maduro, has been using the national oil company as a political cash cow, it is unclear whether Venezuela could even meet the US oil demands.  Mr. Maduro exports most of the country’s oil to China and Cuba, both of which helped Mr. Maduro to stay in power despite popular opposition. Venezuela also has close ties with Russia.

Similarly, the US should not support Iran, a sworn enemy of the USA bent on killing America and our democratic ally in Middle East, Israel. Iran is working toward building its own nuclear arsenal and may use this opportunity to become a realistic threat to our survival in near future. It is absolutely clear that we should not be going hat in hand to foreign oil producers to increase global supply amid sanctions on Russian oil and should not be dependent on other countries for resources that are vital to our national securities.  Especially, we cannot and should not be dependent on dictators.  We need to accelerate oil production in the U.S. and Canada.

Finally, as commendable as the green initiative and future development of renewable and carbon neutral source of energy are, they must take a second place to our efforts to stop war criminals murdering innocent Ukrainian women and children. Putin despotically suppresses any dissent in his own country and violates the human rights of Russian people and people of countries unfortunate to be in the Russian ‘sphere of influence.’ The price of thwarting his assault on the Ukrainian people is not as expensive as allowing him to reconstitute a Russian empire and swallowing other Eastern European countries. As Ukrainian President Zelensky recently noted, “Russian oil smells of Ukrainian blood.”

American energy independence and the export of oil and gas to our European allies will depress worldwide oil prices, cutting off the inflow of funds that allow Putin to continue his genocidal war against Ukrainian civilians.

In the process, it will also benefit the poor and middle class of this nation by decreasing gas and energy prices, while permitting the USA petroleum industry to make our nation energy independent! (We would isolate our sworn enemies, Iran and Venezuela by depressing the oil prices). 

Immediate suspension of any payments to Russia, rather than cynically waiting till June 24th, will give Ukraine a fighting chance to win this war, and defeating Mr. Putin now will prevent the next one (i.e. potential World War III).