The United States Congress voted to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of Russian oil, ratcheting up the US response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid reports of atrocities by Russian forces.
The measures now go to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Action by the House of Representatives came quickly after the Senate approved the two bills with unanimous 100-0 votes on Thursday.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the legislation strengthens Biden’s hand in applying new trade penalties to Russian goods and puts the president’s ban on energy imports into law, signalling it will likely stay in place until well after any end to the war in Ukraine.