Reuters: Syria shows “willingness” to reduce imports of Russian oil

Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Syria has agreed to significantly reduce its imports of Russian oil as part of ongoing discussions with the United States regarding the lifting of the last major sanctions imposed on the country.

This reduction marks a major shift in Syria’s energy policy, given its heavy reliance on Russian oil despite its political pivot toward the West, and raises questions about how the resulting gap will be filled.

Experts said this would also serve as a new American tool to pressure Russia’s economic influence in the country.

A Syrian source familiar with the talks, a U.S. official, and another informed source said that senior Syrian officials told the United States in recent months, during discussions with Washington about removing Syria from the decades-old list of state sponsors of terrorism, that they were “prepared to reduce Russian oil imports.”

The three sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said the United States had not explicitly made the reduction a precondition for delisting.

There had been no prior reports of Syria’s willingness to cut Russian oil imports.

Nouar Sabban, a Syrian analyst at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syria Studies, said, “Russian crude oil volumes cannot be replaced overnight without risking fuel shortages or imposing higher import costs on Syria. The long-term impact on Damascus depends on whether Washington couples this pressure with alternative options.”

He added that Washington was “increasingly targeting the economic network that enables Russia to maintain its influence after losing political ground in Syria.”

A U.S. State Department official said Washington was “encouraging Syria to engage trusted partners, particularly American companies, during the recovery and reconstruction process,” and expected Syria to comply with U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia.

In response to questions from the White House, a U.S. official stated that there was “no link between removing Syria from the state sponsors of terrorism list and its reduction of Russian oil imports.”

The state sponsors of terrorism designation, in place since 1979, remains the only major sanctions classification still in effect against Syria, after the administration of President Donald Trump and Congress lifted comprehensive sanctions following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

The U.S. official and the informed source said that “during discussions on delisting, Washington requested that Syria commit to significantly reducing Russian oil imports, and received such a commitment.”

The Syrian source said U.S. officials had informed their counterparts in Damascus that ceasing purchases of Russian oil “would improve the chances of quickly and smoothly removing the state sponsors of terrorism designation.”

Reuters concluded that Russian oil shipments to Syria jumped 75 percent this year to reach about 60,000 barrels per day. While this represents a small fraction of Russia’s total daily global oil exports, it made Moscow Syria’s primary supplier of crude oil.

The Syrian source said, “Syria currently relies on Russian oil out of necessity, not preference.”

Syrian officials have often responded to the United States by saying, “Remove the state sponsors of terrorism designation, and we will buy oil from elsewhere. Simply put, we have no alternatives at present.”

None of the sources provided details on the timeline for the change or alternative sources of crude oil.

French energy giant TotalEnergies discussed signing a contract for offshore exploration with Syrian officials last month, while Syria signed an agreement in June with ConocoPhillips and Novatek to revive gas production.

On July 8, Trump notified Congress of his intention to remove Syria from the list, initiating a 45-day period during which he must inform Congress and certify that Syria has not supported acts of international terrorism during the preceding six months, while providing assurances that it will not support such acts in the future.

The new Syrian government has pledged not to again threaten regional or international security. It has also joined the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) and has regularly intercepted arms smugglers along its borders with Iraq and Lebanon.

Although distancing itself from Russia was not among the previous US conditions for easing sanctions, the United States has recently stated that it wants to see Syria distance itself from Moscow.

Reuters reported in July that part of the Russian naval base is expected to be converted into a commercial logistics hub.