Tag: Russia

Manchin: U.S. Should Ban Imports Of Russian Oil To Punish Putin

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin plans to introduce a bill to ban imports of petroleum products from Russia.

Manchin says lawmakers should take a step that would punish Russia’s Vladimir Putin for waging war in Ukraine: cutting off the import of more than 500,000 barrels of oil a day.

The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas, with Russia in second.

Manchin says domestic production needs to ramp up to fill the void at home and for U.S. allies in Europe, which depend heavily on Russia for their energy needs.

Manchin plans to introduce a bipartisan bill to curtail those imports and to end the moratorium on oil and gas leasing on federal lands, mostly out west.

Any disruption in the supply could push gasoline prices higher, and drivers are already paying at least a dollar more a gallon than they were a year ago.

“We want to make sure there is no harm to the American public,” Manchin said Wednesday. “And we can prevent that by ramping up our production. We have the ability. We have produced much more than we are producing today, and we can do that again.”

Manchin is chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Russian Vodka Sales Suspended In West Virginia

Gov. Jim Justice signed Executive Order 2-22 Feb. 28, which directs the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration to cease the purchase and sale of all Russian produced liquor until further notice.

Justice’s executive order explained that his action was a response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Feb. 24 declaration of war by Russia against Ukraine, and further stated, “the Governor desires to express West Virginia’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine and the hope for a peaceful outcome of this Russian War against Ukraine” by directing the WVABCACommissioner to implement his request.

“We’ve closed the codes on our ordering portal and are no longer selling it,” Fred Wooton, WVABCA commissioner, confirmed just a few hours later.

Wooton said his office had several retailers calling Monday saying they are pulling the Russian brands off their shelves voluntarily.

“They were ahead of us on the deal,” Wooton said.

The executive order also directs the WVABCA Commissioner “to order and make Ukrainian-made liquor brands available for purchase by licensed liquor outlets, including, but not limited to, MHW LTD dba Conecuh Ridge Distillery – Nemiroff Vodka, depending on availability.”

West Virginia currently distributes four brands of Russian liquor: Russian Standard, Beluga Vodka, Moskovskaya, and Hammer & Sickle Russian Vodka, according to the executive order.

The WVABCA estimates that there are approximately 73 cases of Russian liquor in the state’s warehouse.

“We are in the process of compiling those products and staging them out of the main flow of the warehouse,” Wooton explained. “We won’t be selling it until further notice.”

The in-stock Russian vodka will not be destroyed nor auctioned for charity.

“We don’t actually own the product until we sell the product,” Wooton explained, adding that West Virginia is a bailment control state, meaning the WVABC administration is the only entity authorized to warehouse liquor in the state of West Virginia.

“One possible option is that we could tell our supplier that we no longer want to support this product,” Wooton said. “We would ask our suppliers to pick that product up.”

All other liquors branded with Russian names for marketing purposes are purchased from distilleries not located in Russia and are not affected by the order. Some are made in the United States.

The governor also requested that the West Virginia Retailers Association remove Russian-made liquor from their shelves and not sell the products until further notice.

“We’ve already got the information out to our stores,” Bridget Lambert, president of the West Virginia Retailers Association, said just a few hours following the order. “Our members were glad to step up. We commend the governor, along with the West Virginia Legislature, on taking that action.”

The WVABCA regulates the distribution of liquor in West Virginia to 181 licensed retail liquor outlets statewide. It licenses approximately 6,000 alcohol producers, distributors, representatives, retailers, and other licensees.

Annotation: Donald Trump Jr.'s Emails About Russia Meeting

Donald Trump Jr. tweeted images of emails regarding his 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer on Tuesday.

An intermediary said he could connect Trump Jr. with people who had information “that would incriminate Hillary [Clinton]… and would be very useful to your father.” 

Trump Jr. agreed to the meeting, which former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Trump son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner also attended in June 2016. They met with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya, whom Trump Jr. said ultimately did not provide the promised material on Clinton.

In the emails, Trump Jr. corresponds with publicist Rob Goldstone, who represents the son of an Azerbaijan-born billionaire who has also done business with the Trumps. Trump Jr. forwarded the thread to Kushner and Manafort.

Here, the text appears in chronological order; headers were added by NPR. See the text as tweeted here, combined into one pdf. NPR journalists have annotated the text below with context and analysis.

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Manchin Calling on President to Appoint Special Prosecutor in Russia Probe

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is calling on the president to appoint a special prosecutor in the investigation into Russia’s potential tampering in the 2016 presidential race.

The call comes after President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey Wednesday.

Comey has been leading the investigation into Russian meddling and potential ties between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.

The former director was previously criticized for releasing information about an investigation into Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton just weeks before Election Day—a move that garnered praise from Trump on the campaign trail.

The president now says he can’t trust Comey’s judgment.

Comey reportedly asked for additional funding for the Russian investigation, according to Manchin who said Wednesday the Senate will continue with its investigation into the issue, but a special prosecutor is necessary to ensure public trust.

“I believe that we need a special, independent prosecutor, somebody that has no political backing whatsoever, [whose] job can’t be in jeopardy, they answer to Congress and make sure that the American public has the confidence that this is not going to be a witch hunt from one side of the aisle to a protection of the administration or anybody else on the other side of the aisle,” he said.

Trump said the firing came as a recommendation from his Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General.

EU Ambassador to U.S. Visits Morgantown

A native of Portugal, Joao Vale De Almeida is a fan of soccer and port wines. He’s the European Union’s ambassador to the United States and this was his first trip to West Virginia.

De Almeida spoke to several hundred WVU students about the need for collaboration between America’s government and the European Union as the world’s economy continues to move forward following harsh fiscal times in the last several years. The Ukraine-Russian tension is something De Almeida is paying attention to. He says problems there have the ability to inflict problems on the world economy.

“It’s one of the top issues that we’re dealing with today. Our authorities in Europe are following the events with great attention and care. We are working on a daily basis with our American friends. The basic focus of our activity is to support Ukraine’s transition to full democracy,” De Almeida said.

One of the students who attended the event is Dylan Pany. He’s about to graduate from the university with a degree in business management. He asked the ambassador about what incentives countries have to join the EU. Pany says he wants to work in international business, and possibly with the EU, after his graduation.

“I’ve always wanted to work in Europe, because it’s such an important continent, and part of the world, in regards to the global economy,” Pany said.

Pany spent some time in Italy, and he plans to go back.

“I really think the factor that set me off in international business interests was when I studied abroad, getting over there and meeting people and learning about different cultures. It’s a different speed, its whole new way of life,” Pany said.

De Almeida is visiting the state over the next few days and will meet with Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. The ambassador says West Virginia is doing a great job of playing a role in the world’s economy, exporting goods at a better rate than most American states.

“West Virginia exports more than $4.5 billion to the European Union. This is more than the national average. You have a focus on Europe which I think is very important,” he said.

De Almeida says there are differences though between the United States and European Union countries, in terms of how they think. One example is the death penalty. He says members of the EU are not allowed to support the death penalty.

WVU Professor Talks Russia/Ukraine Conflict

Tensions are high as negotiations continue over whether Russian forces will leave Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. One West Virginia University professor is hoping the conflict is able to come to an end.

Russian forces are in the Ukrainian province of Crimea. This international incident is causing problems for the American government, and for President Obama, who is trying to get the Russian government’s influence out of the region. Boris Barkanov, a political science professor at West Virginia University who once lived in Russia, says that the situation is understandably very dire. He says he’s hoping the situation doesn’t escalate into a more international conflict.

“I think this is a very tense and dangerous situation, and I think everyone should stay sober and keep the temperature down,” he said.

Barkanov says while the world watches what goes on in the Ukraine, it’s a mixed bag in terms of what people want to see happen.

“If you’re in Eastern Europe, probably you will be looking towards American support. I think many people in Ukraine are looking towards American support, against the Russians,” he said.

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