Joe Biden is reportedly expected to announce a US ban on Russian oil imports in a further tightening of sanctions after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The move, set to be revealed later on Tuesday according to news agencies, follows pleas by Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cut off the trade – which has so far been allowed to continue even as other restrictions increase.

Oil prices, already at multi-year highs, climbed back above $130 a barrel on the reports.

The White House said president Biden was set to announce “actions to continue to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and unjustified war on Ukraine”.

America, which had previously floated the policy over the weekend, is expected to act alone on the ban – with European allies more dependent than the US on Russian energy supplies.

The Kremlin has warned of “catastrophic” conseqences for consumers if the US and its allies ban Russian oil, with deputy prime minister Alexander Novak saying oil prices could hit $300 a barrel..

Mr Novak also said it could stop the flow of gas through pipelines from Russia to Germany in response to Berlin’s
decision last month to halt the opening of the controversial new Nord Stream 2 pipeline

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