Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinge said he would first turn to other sources but was ready to buy more oil from Moscow.

In an extensive interview with The Associated Press, Wickremesinge also said he was ready to accept more bailouts from China despite his country's mounting debt.. And while he acknowledged that Sri Lanka was in a predicament " He said that Russia also offered wheat to Sri Lanka..

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Wickremesinge, who is also the Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka, was appointed to his post by the President of the Republic, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to resolve the economic crisis, which almost depleted the country's foreign exchange reserves.. Wickremesinge was sworn in after days of violent protests last month forced his predecessor, President Rajapaksa's brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, to step down and take refuge from angry mobs at a naval base..

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The administration of US President Joe Biden is increasingly trying to persuade or convince countries to join anti-Russian sanctions in order to further isolate Russia and achieve a decisive end to the war.. However, so far, few of them have responded to these calls.. In particular, India is increasing purchases of cheap Russian oil, including for re-export to countries that have joined the sanctions against the Russian Federation..