Chairman of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Alexey Pushkov dismissed as baseless reports alleging that Russia and the Saudi Kingdom are having negotiations aimed at changing Moscow’s position on Syria.

Chairman of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Alexey Pushkov dismissed as baseless reports alleging that Russia and the Saudi Kingdom are having negotiations aimed at changing Moscow’s position on Syria, SANA reported.

Pushkov commented on Twitter saying the report of the American New York Times, which alleged that Saudi Arabia would reduce the supply of oil if Moscow abandoned it support for Syria, is a lie.

The New York Times said Saudi Arabia has been trying to pressure President Vladimir Putin of Russia to abandon his support for Syria using its dominance of the global oil markets. Saudi officials told the newspaper that they think they have some leverage over Mr. Putin because of their ability to reduce the supply of oil and possibly drive up prices.