Syria relies on Russia's oil despite pivot to the West

<img align='right' src='https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/q_auto/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_3490,w_5129/718970' alt='Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa shake hands during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 28, 2026. (photo credit: MAXIM SHIPENKOV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)' title='Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa shake hands during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 28, 2026. (photo credit: MAXIM SHIPENKOV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)' /><br />Oil shipments from Russia have jumped 75% to about 60,000 barrels per day this year, making Moscow the country's dominant crude supplier following the fall of Assad in December 2024.<br />