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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated this Friday that the US has no intention of easing sanctions imposed on Caracas to replace Russian oil with Venezuelan crude after being asked during a news conference about “some reports” suggesting Washington might explore such an option.
“I am not aware that this is being considered,” the spokeswoman simply replied.
The journalist then contacted Psaki to see if there was a chance the White House would reverse his decision in the future. However, the spokeswoman returned to respond negatively.
In early March, US President Joe Biden announced an import ban on Russian oil and gas as part of the sanctions package against Moscow over its military operation in Ukraine.
The President acknowledged that this decision will lead to a rise in crude oil prices and pledged to “do everything” to minimize the rise.
The politician then ordered the daily release of one million barrels of crude oil from the country’s strategic reserve for the next six months. According to the White House, this is “the largest release of oil reserves in history.”
What is Venezuela saying?
For his part, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia stated in mid-March that Venezuela was ready to cooperate with the United States on oil trade as long as “the country’s sovereignty and legitimacy” are respected the government of Nicolás Maduro.
The foreign minister stated that Venezuela’s cooperation with the US on oil matters is of historic importance and that it was not “strange” that both nations were discussing deals between their oil companies.
A US delegation also visited Miraflores Palace in early March. Plasencia pointed out that “it is nothing new” that the oil issue was raised during the meeting between Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the US side.
“We are producing one million barrels a day today and are working towards production of two million this year,” Plasencia said.
“Venezuela’s production has been affected by unilateral coercive measures in recent years. I hope that we can return to the level that we deserve and that is part of the deal with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies,” he said.
This meeting came amid attempts by the West to find new oil supplies in order to forgo imports from Russia.