Mayor Mitch Roth issued a statement Tuesday urging Hawaiʻi Island residents to be mindful of fuel and energy consumption as President Biden announced additional sanctions on Russian oil imports due to the Ukrainian Invasion.

“We are urging those in our community to be mindful of their fuel and energy consumption, as Russian oil imports are now banned due to rising tensions in Europe. Although we stand in solidarity with Ukraine and the decision of the United States government to place strict sanctions on Russia in defense of democracy, we must also remember that we are an isolated island chain that the decision will heavily impact. After speaking with the Governor and other team members, we have been informed that the sanctions shouldn’t have an immediate drastic impact on our cost of living; however, we are beginning to feel it.”

“As a community working on emerging from this pandemic, every cent matters, and we are committed to doing all we can to keep costs of fuel and energy bearable for our island residents. That said, we will need your help to ensure that we are using as little fuel as possible to help keep things like energy, food, and other associated costs down to a minimum. By being mindful, we can stretch our on-island supply as the global market adjusts to the economic impacts the sanctions are sure to cause. We are confident that solutions will be found to address this issue and appreciate the cooperation and commitment from the community in the meantime. Every effort, big or small, is valued and necessary to our economic vitality moving forward.”