Colombo: Sri Lanka may be forced to buy more oil in Russia as the nation faces scarcity amid an unprecedented economic crisis, its prime minister told the Associated Press.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in an interview with the news agency on Saturday, said he would look for other sources first, but would be open to buying more crude in Moscow.
The country is in the midst of its worst financial crisis in seven decades and is severely limited by dollars to pay for critical imports, such as food, fuel and medicine.
Long lines, sometimes miles long, are common near gas stations across the country, which have also been affected by power outages.
As Washington and its allies try to cut back on financial flows in support of Moscow’s war effort, Russia offers its crude at a sharp discount, making it extremely attractive to several countries.
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Wickremesinghe, who is also Sri Lanka’s finance minister, also said he would be willing to accept more financial aid from China, despite the island nation’s growing debts.
Sri Lanka’s current situation was “by its own creation,” he said, and the war in Ukraine was making it even worse and adding that food shortages could continue until 2024.
He said Russia had also offered wheat to Sri Lanka, the AP reported.