Sri Lanka emerges as potential hub for funding Russia’s Ukraine war
Russian President Vladimir Putin (photo: Getty Images)
Sri Lanka is negotiating with Russia to establish uninterrupted supplies of Russian oil to its territory, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Shobini Gunasekera said in an interview with TASS.
According to the diplomat, Sri Lanka’s state oil corporation is discussing not only crude oil deliveries but also shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the modernization of its oil refinery to ensure stable use of Russian energy resources.
“No agreements have been signed yet, but negotiations are ongoing. We have submitted the relevant proposal,” Gunasekera noted.
Experts note that such cooperation could become another channel for financing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as the sale of energy resources provides the Kremlin with foreign currency revenues to fund the war. At the same time, it highlights that Russia continues to seek alternative markets to circumvent European sanctions.
Ukraine and its international partners emphasize the need to block such schemes to prevent Moscow from accessing additional financial resources for the war.
In October, the European Union officially approved its 19th sanctions package against Russia, aimed at reducing Kremlin revenues and blocking schemes to bypass restrictions through third countries.
