Biden Administration Blaming Spike in US Gas Prices on Putin 'Not Accurate', Senator Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Biden administration's claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin is to blame for the increase in gasoline prices in the United States is not accurate since prices were already increasing prior to the conflict in Ukraine, US Senator Rob Portman said on Wednesday.

"For the Biden administration to say this is Vladimir Putin's gas increase, it just isn't accurate," Portman said during a press conference alongside fellow Republican Senators. "Does it contribute? Absolutely it contributes, but the majority of it was already happening and the trajectory was already increasing."

Portman said the United States needs to provide Europe more energy from but it cannot do that if the Biden administration wants to stifle US energy production because of its radical climate agenda.

The export terminals for liquefied natural gas are able to be constructed very quickly and the United States can construct more import terminals in Europe equally quickly, Portman said, adding that the United States needs to flood the region with them.

Several senate Republicans at the press conference pointed out that inflation had been rising, including the increasing prices on gasoline and multiple products, since President Joe Biden came to power in January 2021.

The Republican senators blamed the increase in gasoline prices on Biden and on the Democrats pushing anti-oil and gas rhetoric and practice.