Damascus has agreed to drastically curtail its imports of Russian oil as part of ongoing discussions with the United States concerning the lifting of significant sanctions against Syria.
As reported by Ukrinform, Reuters disseminates this information, citing three sources familiar with the progression of these negotiations.
According to interlocutors of the agency, in recent months, high-ranking Syrian officials have conveyed to the US their willingness to decrease oil imports from Russia. This communication occurred during deliberations regarding Washington’s potential removal of Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism (SST), a designation Damascus had carried for many years.
It is noted that such a reduction would represent a fundamental shift in Syria’s energy policy. Despite a political reorientation towards the West, the nation has become substantially reliant on Russian oil, raising questions about how the country will compensate for the resulting shortfall.
In the view of experts, this would also serve as a novel mechanism for the US to exert pressure on Russia’s economic influence within Syria.
The sources emphasize that the US has not explicitly stipulated a reduction in Russian oil imports as a prerequisite for rescinding the restrictions imposed on Damascus.
Syria’s readiness to reduce its imports of Russian oil had not been previously disclosed.
“Replacing the volume of Russian crude oil cannot happen overnight without the risk of fuel shortages or increased import costs for Syria. The long-term impact on Damascus depends on whether Washington couples this pressure with alternatives,” stated Nawwar Saban, a Syrian analyst at the Arab Center for Modern Studies.
He added that Washington is “increasingly targeting the economic network that allows Russia to maintain influence after losing political ground in Syria.”
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According to a Syrian source, American officials informed their counterparts in Damascus that ceasing the procurement of Russian oil would “improve the chances for a swift and uncomplicated removal of the SST designation.”
As previously reported by Ukrinform, Russia has become the primary supplier of oil to Syria. Vessel-tracking data indicates that oil shipments from Russia have surged by 75% this year, reaching approximately 60,000 barrels per day. For comparative purposes, this figure stood at 46,000 barrels per day in 2025.
Iraq is set to sign an agreement with Syria for the construction of oil pipelines, which will connect oil-producing regions to international export markets via the Mediterranean Sea.
Photo: oilprice.com