WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden announced on Thursday the United States will ban Russian-affiliated ships from American ports, joining Canada and European nations, in the latest step to pressure Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
The White House will release a proclamation with more details. Reuters first reported Biden’s planed action on Thursday and reported in early March the ban was under consideration by the White House.
“That means no ship, no ship that sails under the Russian flag or that is owned or operated by a Russian entity will be allowed to dock in a United States port or access our shores. None,” Biden said Thursday.
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The sources said that in 2021 Russian vessels made about 1,800 visits, a small percentage of overall traffic.
The issue prompted an extensive Biden administration review to ensure the ban on Russian ships would not seriously impact U.S. supply chains.
Canada on March 1 shuts its ports to Russian-owned ships and barred them from Canadian waters and many European countries have also taken the same step.
The United States previously barred Russian airplanes from U.S. airspace, joining Canada and European nations in the action, and has banned Russian oil imports, which accounted for much of the prior Russian ship traffic to the United States.
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