Russia says trying to help Syria break through U.S. sanctions blockade

Russia is trying to help Syria break through an economic blockade created by new U.S. sanctions that are impeding foreign investment into Syria’s economy, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said on Monday.

The sanctions, known as the Caesar Act, aren’t allowing “investment to be attracted into the Syrian economy and, in fact, this is a blockade, a destructive position by the United States and western countries that we are making joint efforts to break through,” Borisov said.