Earlier on Sunday, Antony Blinken told the NBC talk show Meet the Press: “We are now in very active discussions with our European partners about banning the import of Russian oil to our countries, while of course at the same time maintaining a steady global supply of oil.” 

However, despite promising to tighten the economic noose around Russia, he stopped short of announcing an outright boycott.

Members of the US Congress have directly sought an all-out boycott. With Russian oil products accounting for only eight per cent of the US market, Joe Biden, the US president, is under pressure to act.

“We have more than enough ability in this country to produce enough oil to make up for the percentage we buy from Russia,” Marco Rubio, the Republican senator told ABC.

Like Mr Blinken, Ursula von der Leyen, who has spoken of ramping up sanctions on Russia, stopped short of advocating an outright ban on Russian oil.

“The goal is to isolate Russia and to make it impossible for Putin to finance his wars,” the European Commission president told CNN.