President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil imports in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a Tuesday speech, President Biden said the goal of the ban is to target “the main artery of Russia’s economy” and “deal another powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.”

“This is a move that has strong bipartisan support in Congress, and I believe in the country,” Biden said. “Americans… have rallied to support the Ukrainian people and made it clear we will not be part of subsidizing Putin’s war.”

Biden said the decision to ban Russian oil imports was made “in close consultation with our allies and our partners around the world, particularly in Europe.” Shortly after Biden’s announcement, British Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said oil and oil products from Russia will be phased out in Britain by the end of the year. The European Union (EU) is expected to commit to phasing out its reliance on Russia for energy later this week. As Europe is significantly more reliant on Russia, this process may take a while.

“We’re moving forward with this ban understanding that many of our European allies and partners may not be in a position to join us,” Biden said. “But we’re working closely with Europe and our partners to develop a long term strategy to reduce their dependence on Russian energy, as well.”

Though Russian oil makes up only a small part of U.S. imports, Biden said he was reluctant to ban it due to potential spikes in gas prices it could cause in the United States. According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of gasoline hit a record $4.17 Tuesday, rising by 10 cents in one day and 55 cents since last week.

“Putin’s war is already hurting American families at the gas pump. Since Putin began his military buildup on Ukrainian borders, just since then, the price of the gas at the pump in America went up 75 cents,” Biden said. “With this action, it’s going to go up further.”