‘Largely Symbolic’: Biden Administration Expected to Bar Russian Ships from U.S. Ports

President Joe Biden’s administration is likely to prohibit Russian ships from entering United States ports — believed to be a “largely symbolic” decision — sources with knowledge of the situation told the Wall Street Journal.

The Journal reported Wednesday:

The move, which follows a similar ban in the U.K., would be largely symbolic. Russian commercial ships represent less than 1% of cargo volumes to the U.S., according to shipping and port officials. Russian firms own a large fleet of oil tankers but they usually aren’t Russian-flagged.

The move would represent the latest round of sanctions against Russia, which has drawn intense condemnation over its military invasion of Ukraine. The West has levied sanctions across almost every aspect of Russia’s economy — including its billionaire oligarchs — except its lucrative oil and gas industries.

On Wednesday, Biden stated that he is open to banning Russian oil imports, telling reporters on the White House lawn that “Nothing is off the table.”

In the same back and forth with the press, the president claimed it was “too soon to say” if Russian soldiers had engaged in war crimes by targeting Ukrainian civilians.

Russian officials say 498 of its troops have died in Ukraine and 1,597 have been wounded, while Ukraine says close to 7,000 invaders have been killed, Sky News reports.