Biden on banning Russian oil imports: 'Nothing is off the table'

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden did not rule out a ban on Russia's energy imports Wednesday as Moscow continues to stage a war against Ukraine.

When asked if he was considering banning Russian oil imports ahead of his visit to the state of Wisconsin, the US president replied: "Nothing is off the table".

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told CNN earlier that the Biden administration is "heavily" considering sanctions on Russian oil imports but wants to minimize the effect at home.

"It's still on the table. It's not off the table. But again, that's how the president looks at this as we're announcing and pursuing additional steps," said Psaki.

The US president also said Russia was deliberately targeting civilian areas and when asked if Moscow was committing war crimes in Ukraine, he said: "We are following it very closely. It's early to say that."

Asked if he backed a permanent US military presence in Poland and other eastern European countries after the war in Ukraine, he said: "That's a decision for NATO to make."

Since Russia's war on Ukraine began on Feb. 24, it has been met by outrage from the international community, with the EU, UK, Canada, Japan and the US implementing a range of economic sanctions on Moscow.

More than 2,000 civilians have been killed since the start of the war, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, while the UN Refugee Agency estimates over 874,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries.