Washington, MINA – President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States will take “all possible steps” to support Syria as it enters a new era following decades of Assad family rule. His remarks came after a nearly two-hour closed-door meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, Anadolu Agency reported.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump praised Sharaa as “a very strong leader,” saying he had developed a good rapport with the new Syrian head of state.
“He comes from a very tough place, and he’s a tough guy. I liked him. I get along with him, the president, the new president in Syria,” Trump said.
Trump hinted that new announcements on Syria would be made soon but did not provide details, stating only that “we want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful, and I think this leader can do it.”
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He added that Sharaa’s difficult past shaped him into a resilient leader, also noting his strong relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“Erdogan is a great leader. And very much in favor of what’s happening in Syria. We have to make Syria work,” Trump said.
Trump also said the US is working with Israel on improving regional relations involving Syria. “That’s working amazingly,” he noted.
Sharaa’s visit marked the first time in nearly 80 years that a Syrian leader has stepped foot in the White House since the country gained independence.
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Talks between the two leaders were expected to focus on the possible removal of U.S. sanctions imposed during the Assad era, efforts to bring Damascus formally into the anti-ISIS (Daesh) coalition, and potential discussions on normalizing relations with Israel, one of Trump’s stated foreign policy goals.
The White House did not immediately issue a formal readout of the meeting.
The Trump administration has already taken several steps to ease diplomatic and economic pressure on Syria as it attempts to rebuild after more than 13 years of brutal civil war, including lifting some sanctions.
Trump began the process of easing sanctions after meeting Sharaa in May in Saudi Arabia. Following that meeting, he described Sharaa as a “young, attractive guy, tough guy, strong past,” signaling a dramatic shift from the longstanding hostility that defined US-Syria relations during the Assad era.[]
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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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