Media: Syria agrees to curb Russian oil imports amid US sanctions talks

Syria has agreed to drastically reduce imports of Russian oil as part of ongoing discussions with the United States over lifting the country's remaining designation as a state sponsor of terrorism (SST), three sources familiar with the talks told Reuters.

The move would mark a significant shift in Syria's energy policy, as the country has become heavily dependent on Russian crude despite its recent political outreach to Western governments. Analysts say the change could also provide Washington with another means of reducing Russia's economic influence in Syria.

According to a Syrian source with direct knowledge of the discussions, a U.S. official, and another source briefed on the matter, senior Syrian officials have informed Washington in recent months that they are prepared to reduce Russian oil imports while negotiations continue over removing Syria from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The three sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the talks publicly, said the United States did not explicitly present the reduction in Russian oil imports as a formal precondition for lifting the designation.

Syria's willingness to scale back purchases of Russian crude has not previously been reported.

"Replacing volumes of Russian crude ⁠cannot happen overnight without risking fuel shortages or higher import costs for Syria. The long-term impact on Damascus depends on whether Washington is pairing this pressure with alternatives," said Navvar Saban, a Syrian analyst at the Arab Centre for Contemporary Studies.

Saban added that Washington was "increasingly targeting the economic network that allows Russia to preserve influence after losing political ground in Syria."

There was no immediate response to Reuters' requests for comment from Syria's information and foreign ministries or from Russia's foreign and energy ministries.

A U.S. State Department official said Washington was "encouraging Syria to engage trusted corporate partners — especially U.S. firms — during the country’s recovery and reconstruction process" and expected Damascus to comply with U.S. sanctions on Russia.

Responding to questions from Reuters, a U.S. official said there was no direct link between removing Syria's state sponsor of terrorism designation and reducing Russian oil imports.

The state sponsor of terrorism designation, imposed on Syria in 1979, remains the country's last major U.S. sanctions label after President Donald Trump's administration and Congress lifted comprehensive sanctions following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

However, the U.S. official and another source familiar with the discussions said Washington requested and received a commitment from Syria to significantly reduce Russian oil imports during negotiations over lifting the designation.

According to the Syrian source, U.S. 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."

The source said Syrian officials responded that removing the designation would enable the country to diversify its energy supply network.

Despite the easing of most Western sanctions, Syria continues to face limited options for securing oil supplies. According to Reuters, Russian crude shipments to Syria have increased by 75% this year to around 60,000 barrels per day. While this represents only a small share of Russia's global oil exports, it has made Moscow Syria's dominant crude supplier.

By Sabina Mammadli