It is important for all Americans to realize who is actually driving our inflation today; it’s Vladimir Putin.

His invasion of the Ukraine has triggered both a ban on oil imports to the U.S. and skyrocketing oil prices worldwide. This drives up inflation everywhere and on nearly everything. His war has also triggered disruptions to the supply of numerous raw materials, including wheat from Ukraine, who was No. 5 in the world in 2020-21, according to Reuters.

If you watch the financial indicators, you know that the inflation metrics were peaking in early January and just barely starting to come down, that is in the right direction. Then fears of Putin’s invasion, and ultimately the actual invasion drove prices for many commodities up dramatically. (Do you remember how the Russian government said they had no plans to invade.)

I urge you to recognize our current burden of rising prices to be what it is. It is just one immediate part of Putin’s attack on you and me. His attack on the U.S.

Please speak up to your elected officials that you are in favor of what has been done with sanctions, and if you agree, tell them you support even stronger actions against Putin. We must stand together in the U.S. and with the free world.

Michael DiMonte, Cranberry Township