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Syria has offered to sharply cut back Russian oil imports as part of talks with Washington over its removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, three sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
The move would mark a major shift in Syria’s energy policy after the country became heavily dependent on Russian crude despite its political pivot toward the West.
A Syrian source with direct knowledge of the discussions, a U.S. official and another person briefed on the matter said senior Syrian officials had expressed readiness in recent months to reduce Russian oil purchases.
All three spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks publicly.
They said Washington had not explicitly presented the reduction as a formal condition for removing the designation.
Syria’s willingness to cut Russian oil imports had not previously been reported.
Navvar Saban, a Syrian analyst at the Arab Center for Contemporary Studies, said replacing Russian crude could not happen immediately without creating risks of fuel shortages or higher import costs.
“The long-term impact on Damascus depends on whether Washington is pairing this pressure with alternatives,” he said.
Saban said the U.S. was increasingly targeting the economic network that allowed Russia to retain influence after losing political ground in Syria.
A U.S. State Department official said Washington was encouraging Syria to work with trusted corporate partners, particularly U.S. companies, during reconstruction and expected Damascus to comply with U.S. sanctions against Russia.
Responding to questions sent to the White House by Reuters, a U.S. official said there was no connection between removing Syria’s terrorism designation and reducing Russian oil imports.
However, the U.S. official and the source briefed on the talks said Washington had asked for and received a commitment from Syria to sharply reduce those imports during discussions over ending the designation.
According to the Syrian source, U.S. officials told Damascus that ending Russian oil purchases would improve the chances of removing the designation quickly and without complications.
Syria responded that lifting the designation would allow it to develop a more diverse energy supply network, the source said.
Most Western sanctions on Syria have been lifted, but the country’s oil supply options remain severely limited.
Russian oil shipments to Syria increased 75% this year to about 60,000 barrels per day, Reuters found.
That amount represents a small share of Russia’s global oil exports but has made Moscow Syria’s dominant crude supplier.
“Today, Syria relies on Russian oil out of necessity, not preference,” the Syrian source said.
Syrian officials often tell Washington to remove the state sponsors of terrorism designation so Damascus can purchase oil elsewhere because it currently lacks alternatives, the source added.
None of the sources provided a timetable for reducing imports or identified alternative crude suppliers.
A Syrian energy official told Reuters that Damascus was already seeking new suppliers and that a “radical change” was anticipated.
French energy company TotalEnergies discussed a possible offshore exploration contract with Syrian officials last month.
Syria also signed an agreement with ConocoPhillips and Novaterra in June to revive gas production.
Syria has been listed by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1979.
The designation is the only major U.S. sanctions label still applied to Syria after President Donald Trump’s administration and Congress lifted broader sanctions following the removal of former President Bashar Assad.
Syria is one of four countries still on the list, alongside Cuba, Iran and North Korea.
On July 8, Trump notified Congress of his intention to remove Syria from the list, beginning a 45-day notification period.
During that period, the president must certify that Syria has not supported acts of international terrorism during the previous six months and has provided assurances that it will not support such acts in the future.
Since Assad’s removal, Syria’s new government has pledged that the country will not again threaten regional or international security.
Damascus has joined the U.S.-led coalition fighting Daesh and has regularly announced operations against weapons smugglers along its borders with Iraq and Lebanon.
Russia was not included in earlier U.S. conditions for easing sanctions, but Washington has more recently signaled that it wants Syria to distance itself from Moscow.
Congress has instructed the Pentagon to assess ways to reduce Russian influence in Syria and secure the departure of Russian forces from the Tartous naval facility and Hmeimim air base.
Reuters reported in July that part of Russia’s naval base in Tartous was expected to be converted into a commercial logistics center.
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