Russia’s plan to slash its oil output by 500,000 barrels a day next month shows the extent to which President Vladimir Putin is willing to use resources like energy as a weapon, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at a briefing Friday in Washington, Bloomberg reports.
Putin’s move doesn’t come as a big surprise following a decision by Group of Seven nations and the European Union to implement price caps on Russian oil and oil products, Kirby said.
The US will continue to work with allies and partners, including those in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Kirby added, saying he had no specific conversations to speak of today.
"And it just shows you the lengths to which he’s willing to use resources like energy as a — again, as a weapon,” added Kirby.
The White House official emphasized that the United States still believes Putin must not be allowed to “profiteer in an inappropriate way off of the oil he puts on the market so that he can then fund his military in the field.”
As reported, the G7 countries and the European Union introduced price caps on Russian oil and petroleum products in order to affect the Kremlin's ability to finance its war machine. This step is also aimed to avoid shortages and price spikes in the global energy market.
