The Prime Minister says Sri Lanka may be compelled to buy more oil from Russia

The Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Saturday said the island nation may be compelled to buy more oil from Russia as the island nation hunts desperately for fuel amid an unprecedented economic crisis. The Premier said he would first look to other sources, but would be open to buying more crude from Moscow. Western nations largely have cut off energy imports from Russia in line with sanctions over its war on Ukraine.
The Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also indicated he would be willing to accept more financial help from China, despite his country’s mounting debt. He acknowledged that Sri Lanka’s current predicament is of its own making, and said the war in Ukraine is making it even worse. Premier Wickremesinghe stressed that dire food shortages could continue until 2024. He said Russia had also offered wheat to Sri Lanka.