Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is calling for the U.S. to increase its domestic energy production to put a squeeze on Russia’s economy.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, DeSantis said, “My view on the whole situation with Ukraine and Russia is, if you want to hit Vladimir Putin, hit him where it counts.”
“This is a guy who’s basically an authoritarian gas station attendant with some legacy nuclear weapons from the old Soviet Union. Their whole society is hollowed out except for that energy. And so if you want to him, hit him at the gas pump, hit him with energy,” he continued.
However, he argued President Joe Biden “stepped on the neck of our domestic energy.”
DeSantis noted that during former President Donald Trump’s tenure, the U.S. achieved energy independence “for the first in any of our lifetimes.”
“Putin didn’t matter. Now they’re importing millions of barrels of oils from Russia,” he added.
Watch the video below:
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) calls Putin an "authoritarian gas station attendant" and calls for President Biden to increase domestic supply of energy. pic.twitter.com/fvdU1YsXo5
— Forbes (@Forbes) February 28, 2022
Forbes points out that even when the U.S was exporting energy, it was still importing oil from other countries. Additionally, The Washington Post reports that during President Joe Biden’s first year in office, it appears that the U.S exported more energy than it imported.
Still, conservatives have argued that Biden’s policies have “destroyed American energy independence,” leading to higher energy prices.
Finally, DeSantis said, “Let’s be real. It’s a matter of national security. Yes, of course, it’s a matter of the gas pump. Gas is up 40, 50%. That hurts people. These are people that are working. They have to commute. It just eats up part of their income. So we want lower prices, of course, but we also want to have secure energy supplies and not rely on rogue parts of the world.”
DeSantis’ comments come amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has prompted a conversation about European nations’ energy policies.
Russia provides roughly 40% of Europe’s natural gas imports and a quarter of its oil. As The New York Times notes, “Dependence on the country’s energy supplies, and fears of how a disruption to its exports may increase prices, have made it difficult for other governments to impose sanctions on one of its biggest industries.
Russia is the world’s third-largest oil-producing country.
In 2020, Russia was the largest non-continental source of oil imports for the U.S., accounting for about 6.6% of imports — or 540,000 barrels a day. However, Forbes reports that in 2021, Russia made up 21% of oil imports.
