Syria04 August, 20262 min read
Syria Agrees To Sharply Cut Russian Oil Imports In US Sanctions Talks
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Syria agreed to sharply reduce Russian oil imports to secure US sanctions relief. It would mark a shift in Syria's energy policy due to dependence on Russian crude.
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Oil cut talks
Syria has reportedly committed to the United States to sharply reduce its imports of Russian oil as part of talks over lifting the remaining State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) designation imposed on Damascus since 1979. Kyiv Post, citing three anonymous sources including a Syrian source with direct knowledge of the talks and a US official, said Russian oil deliveries to Syria rose about 75% this year to about 60,000 barrels per day.
The Syrian source told Kyiv Post, “Today, Syria relies on Russian oil out of necessity, not preference,” while adding that “We simply don’t have alternatives right now.” Reuters, as summarized by RBC-Ukraine, said such a move would mark a major shift in Syria's energy policy because the country currently remains heavily dependent on Russian oil supplies.
No formal precondition
Reuters reporting, as carried by Kyiv Post, said Washington did not explicitly present the reduction as a formal precondition for lifting the SST designation, even as US officials told their counterparts in Damascus that ending purchases of Russian oil would “improve the chances of lifting the SST designation quickly and without complications.” A US State Department spokesperson, quoted in RBC-Ukraine, said Washington is “increasingly targeting the economic network that allows Russia to preserve influence after losing political ground in Syria.”
Kyiv Post also reported that the Syrian source said Syrian officials often respond to the US by saying, “Lift the SST designation and we’ll buy oil from somewhere else.” RBC-Ukraine added that the United States expects Syria to comply with US sanctions on Russia, while stressing there is no direct link between removing Syria's sanctions designation and any reduction in Russian oil imports.
Risks and next steps
Navvar Saban, a Syrian analyst at the Arab Center for Contemporary Studies, told Kyiv Post that replacing the Russian volume “cannot happen overnight without risking fuel shortages or higher import costs for Syria.” Kyiv Post reported that a Syrian energy authority told Reuters Damascus is already looking for new suppliers and expects “radical” changes to its energy mix, while noting that in June Syria signed a gas deal with ConocoPhillips and Novaterra and in July discussed an offshore exploration contract with TotalEnergies.
RBC-Ukraine said ending purchases of Russian oil would “improve the chances of lifting the SST designation quickly and without complications,” and described US requests and assurances during the negotiations over the last major sanctions measure. The same Reuters reporting, as summarized by RBC-Ukraine, said Congress directed the Pentagon to assess options for reducing Russia's influence in Syria, including securing the departure of Russian forces from the Tartous naval base and the Hmeimim airbase.