Washington DC - President Joe Biden called for a focus on renewable energy as the White House officially banned imports of Russian fossil fuels, the ultimate econmic punishment for its invasion of Ukraine.

The ban will prevent imports of natural gas, oil, and coal from Russia, and goes hand-in-hand with the White House's decision to tap into federal oil reserves to help with price spikes.

The ban also applies to any potential investors in companies that do business with Russian fossil fuel projects.

President Biden used the announcement to make yet another push for increased production of US fossil fuels in the short term, but also the long term goal of embracing renewable energy.

In 2021, the US imported 73 million barrels of oil from Russia, according to Forbes, and that leaves a sudden hole in the supply line for consumers.

According to an analysis from climate policy think-tank Innovative Energy, the US could easily cut its dependence on Russian oil with tech that is already available right now.

The paper found that in the time it would take to ramp up domestic fossil fuel production, energy saving policies currently moving through Congress would drop reliance on Russian imports to zero, removing US dependence on Russia's polluting fossil fuels by 2027.

Biden also sees a greener big picture, and part of the White House statement included a push for more sustainable energy tech that would give the country more energy security and benefit the climate.

"In the long run, the way to avoid high gas prices is to speed up – not slow down – our transition to a clean energy future," he said.

A faster shift to greener energy generation is essential, and there might never be a better time to push for it.