Syria has told the United States that it is ready to sharply reduce imports of Russian oil as part of negotiations on lifting key American sanctions. Reuters reports this, citing three sources familiar with the course of the talks, writes UNN.
Details
According to the agency, the issue has been discussed in recent months during consultations between senior Syrian and US officials on the possible removal of Damascus from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
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The sources note that Washington has not officially made the reduction of Russian oil imports a mandatory condition for removing this status. At the same time, the Syrian side itself has expressed readiness to take such a step.
The US seeks to weaken Russia's economic influence
According to Syrian analyst Nawwar Saban of the Arab Center for Contemporary Studies, abandoning Russian oil would be a serious change for Syria's energy policy, which in recent years has largely depended on Russian supplies.
Replacing the volumes of Russian crude oil cannot happen overnight without the risk of fuel shortages or an increase in import costs for Syria. The long-term impact on Damascus depends on whether Washington combines this pressure with alternatives
The US State Department told Reuters that Washington expects Syria to comply with American sanctions against Russia and encourages Damascus to involve reliable international partners, including American companies, in the country's reconstruction.
At the same time, a White House representative emphasized that there is no official link between the possible removal of Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and the reduction of Russian oil imports. However, according to one of Reuters' interlocutors, American officials have made it clear to the Syrian side that refusing to purchase Russian oil would increase the chances of a quick removal of this status.