Russia-Ukraine War Erupts, US Foreign and Energy Policy Faces Geopolitical Test

In late February 2022, Russia's military action against Ukraine immediately seized the focus of U.S. foreign policy and economic strategy. The Biden administration swiftly coordinated with European allies to impose severe economic sanctions on Russia, including excluding major Russian banks from the SWIFT system and restricting technology exports.

However, the resulting surge in global oil prices due to sanctions on Russian energy exacerbated U.S. domestic inflation, placing U.S. domestic energy policy at the center of the political debate. Conservatives strongly criticized the Biden administration's restrictions on domestic oil and gas production, arguing that the government should immediately unleash domestic energy production to counter Russia and lower gas prices at home, emphasizing energy independence as a critical component of national security.