It's hard to believe even Obama and his gang would announcement something that preposterous in an election year.
When preposterous is the only trick you have left in the bag, it serves its purpose. This in no way upsets the core constituency (which is rapidly diminishing, it might be added), and it sort of mollifies the parts of the squishy middle who don’t listen very well anyway.
No actual permits or drilling would ever occur under US auspices. The Russian Federation will drill sideways into the reservoirs and have them pumped dry long before then.