President Biden says ‘root’ cause of high gas prices is the pandemic, Vladimir Putin 

President Joe Biden said Thursday that record gas prices were caused by the pandemic and Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

“The problem we’re facing with gas prices has two roots,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “First, the pandemic. When COVID struck demand for oil plummeted so production slowed down worldwide. Because of the strength and the speed of recovery, demand for oil shot back up much faster than the supply. That’s why the cost of gas began to rise last year. The second root is Vladimir Putin.”

At the start of the year the price of a gallon was about $3.30, he continued, while today it is averaging about $4.22. “Nearly a dollar more in less than three months,” he said. “The reason for that is because of Putin’s war.”

The White House has unveiled a plan to combat spiraling gas prices. The plan includes asking Congress to impose fines on gas companies that aren’t producing energy from public land, as he seeks to tackle record prices at the pumps.

Simultaneously Biden plans to use the wartime Defense Production Act to accelerate the switch to electric cars, according to senior administration officials, by producing materials needed for high-capacity batteries.

Switching to electric vehicles, said Biden, would bring big savings for motorists. “Under my plan, which is before the Congress now, we can take advantage of the next generation of electric vehicles,” he said. “That typical driver will save about $80 a month from not having to pay gas at the pump.”

Biden has conceded that he is unsure of how long it will take for drivers to see a signification reduction in prices at the pump. “There’s no firm answer to it,” he said when asked by a journalist. “But prices already came down when it was announced ahead of time.”