At a recent United Nations Security Council meeting, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, told delegates that delivering Russian fertilizers to Syria is currently blocked by European sanctions tied to the United States. The report from TASS has circulated that attempts to move a shipment past European port restrictions are blocked by these sanctions.
Nebenzya added that Russia stands ready to ship a batch of fertilizer held in the EU at no cost to Damascus. However, he noted that the so-called Caesar Law, a set of sanctions imposed by the United States on Syria, prevents the entry of these materials under what he described as dual-use controls. In his view, these measures prevent practical delivery to Syria despite the humanitarian intent behind the offer.
The Russian envoy emphasized that Moscow and Damascus expect the United Nations to provide a clear update on any steps taken to resolve the blockage. They have requested guidance from the UN on how to move forward and unblock the shipment in question, seeking a concrete response that could ease the strain on agricultural supply chains in Syria.
From the Russian Foreign Ministry, a retrospective note suggested that progress on restoring normal Russian exports of agricultural products and fertilizers with UN assistance remains limited. While global food security concerns are rising, the ministry asserted that commercial orders linked to Ukrainian markets appear to be being fulfilled, implying an uneven distribution of relief and trade efforts across regions affected by the ongoing conflict. This stance has been aligned with ongoing diplomatic discussions about sanctions, humanitarian aid, and the role of international institutions in mediating economic relief for vulnerable populations.