U.S. Gas Prices Poll: Americans Blame Vladimir Putin, Gas Companies for Scary Oil Price Hike

The majority of Americans blame Russia's President Vladimir Putin for the high gas prices in the U.S., according to a new poll.

ABC News and Ipsos survey revealed that more than two-thirds or 71 percent of the respondents blamed the Russian president for the oil price hike. On the other hand, 68 percent of the respondents blamed the oil companies for the same issue, Politico reported.

U.S. officials and political groups were also blamed in the poll, of which 51 percent of the respondents believed that President Joe Biden was the one to blame for the ongoing oil price hike, while 52 percent blamed the policies of the Democratic Party over the issue.

A strong majority of Americans, or 68 percent, have also disapproved of how Biden is handling the rising gas prices. Meanwhile, a third or 33 percent of the respondents blamed the Republican party policies for the rising gas prices, and a quarter of them, or 24 percent, blamed former President Donald Trump.

The poll from ABC News and Ipsos released Sunday also revealed that most Americans support Biden's policies in connection with the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Seventy-nine percent of the respondents favor the Biden administration placing tighter economic sanctions on Russia, and 63 percent favor the United States accepting Ukrainian refugees.

Seventy percent agreed with the U.S. sending more weapons to Ukraine, while 53 percent approved the U.S. sending additional troops to nearby European countries but not Ukraine.

According to Politico, the poll was conducted in both English and Spanish from April 8 to 9. The survey involved a random national sample of 530 adults, with a margin of error listed at 4.9 percent.

U.S. Gas Prices

U.S. gas prices are expected to continue to rise. According to American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average for gas prices in the U.S. as of April 10 is $4.116.

However, some states continue to experience higher fuel prices. AAA revealed in its data that California remains the state with the most expensive gas prices, with its regular fuel amounting to $5.765, mid-grade fuel at $5.980, premium at $6.111, and the diesel at around $6.314.

The state of Hawaii comes second, with its regular gas amounting to $5.233 and mid-grade at $5.441. Hawaii's premium gas costs around $5.690, and the diesel retails at $5.364.

The state of Missouri has the cheapest gas in the country, with its regular gas amounting to $3.676 per gallon, and its diesel is only at $4.689 per gallon.

Causes of High Gas Prices in the U.S.

According to CNET, the gas prices are linked to the cost of crude oil, which it is refined from. This issue is paired with the sanction imposed by the Biden administration against the Russian oil companies.

The U.S. is not importing much of its crude oil from Russia. However, the oil is traded on a global market. Any ripple affects prices globally.

Senior market analyst at DTN energy analysis firm Troy Vincent said the Ukraine war is not the only cause of high gas prices. Vincent noted that the pandemic is also to blame as the demand for gas plummeted during this time.

"We've had a supply-and-demand imbalance for a while... And it will remain, regardless of whether this conflict goes away," Vincent said.

In response to the oil price hike, President Joe Biden has ordered the release of one million barrels of oil a day from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve over the next six months to help cut gas prices and fight inflation in the country.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Why Russia's War Drove Up U.S. Gas Prices - From CNBC