Syria agrees to drastically reduce Russian oil imports amid US sanctions talks - report

Senior Syrian officials have told the US they are willing to significantly reduce Russian oil imports as they discuss Washington's removal of Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. This is according to a Syrian source, a US official, and another source briefed on the matter who all spoke with Reuters. The US reportedly did not explicitly frame the reduction as a precondition for lifting the designation, though the Syrian source said US officials told their counterparts that ending Russian oil purchases would "improve the chances of lifting the SST designation quickly and without complications."

Russian oil shipments to Syria jumped 75% to about 60,000 barrels per day this year, making Moscow the dominant crude supplier to Syria despite the country's political pivot to the West.

A Syrian energy official said Damascus was already seeking new suppliers and that a "radical change" was expected. Syrian analyst Navvar Saban said, "Replacing volumes of Russian crude cannot happen overnight without risking fuel shortages or higher import costs for Syria," adding that Washington was "increasingly targeting the economic network that allows Russia to preserve influence after losing political ground in Syria."

On July 8, Trump informed Congress of his intent to remove Syria from the terrorism sponsor list, triggering a 45-day notification period. Congress has also directed the Pentagon to assess options for reducing Russia's influence in Syria, including securing the departure of Russian forces from a seaport in Tartous and an airbase in Hmeimim.