Exclusive
by Our Correspondent in Washington DC
The United States has formally pressured Sri Lanka to immediately halt some of the most significant defence-related dealings with Russian entities, citing serious risks of sanctions and diplomatic fallout.
In a strongly worded letter dated 14 March 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo warned the Sri Lankan government against engaging with any Russian or Belarusian defence companies, especially those already under sanctions. The communication singled out one Russian company, stating that it is “listed as a sanctioned company by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).”
The U.S. further emphasised that any continued interaction or contract signing with such entities would place Sri Lanka “at-risk of sanctions themselves,” urging the government not to proceed with any agreements involving these firms. It added that the matter “has high-level attention with the USG in Washington D.C.” and promised to follow up with more details in due course.
In a subsequent internal communication dated 16 April 2025, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that its Embassy in Washington had verified the U.S. position. The Ministry then forwarded this information to the Ministry of Defence and other relevant authorities for “necessary action,” effectively putting the brakes on any ongoing negotiations or contracts involving sanctioned Russian companies.
While Sri Lanka has yet to issue an official public response, the tone and urgency of the correspondence from Washington suggest that Colombo will have little choice but to comply. This development marks a significant pivot in Sri Lanka’s foreign policy, underlining growing Western pressure to align more closely with U.S. strategic interests in the face of heightened global tensions.
