Syria’s Sharaa seeks to mend US relations; now, there are no interactions with the Trump administration

In a conversation with The Economist, Syria’s acting president Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that while his government has not yet communicated with the Trump administration, it hopes to reestablish relations with the US in the days ahead.

The U.S. forces were in Syria without the government’s consent, according to Sharaa, who was named Syria’s acting president of state last week. He said that any such presence should be approved by the government. He called the ongoing U.S. sanctions on Syria “the gravest risk” facing the nation.

“I think that President Trump wants to see peace in the region, and removing the sanctions is a high goal. In the interview released late Monday, Sharaa stated, “The United States of America has no interest in prolonging the suffering of the Syrian people.”

During the lightning attack that overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, Sharaa commanded the Islamist armed organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former offshoot of al Qaeda.

The United States and other Western nations have placed harsh sanctions on Syria for years in an effort to isolate Assad for his violent crackdown and to create pressure for a political settlement following more than ten years of civil conflict.

The departing Biden administration granted a six-month sanctions reprieve for dealings with Syrian governing bodies in January. It came after senior U.S. diplomats visited Damascus in December.

Despite cutting its connections with al Qaeda in 2016, the United States still lists HTS as a terrorist organization.
In 2012, the American embassy in Damascus ceased operations.

‘MEANINGLESS’ OF TERRORIST DESIGNATION

Sharaa said that the categorization of HTS as a terrorist organization had “become meaningless” after all armed groups against Assad were disassembled.

Ten years ago, as part of its fight against Islamic State, the United States sent troops to Syria. They are still present in the north and northeast, supporting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an ally of Syria.

“I think that any unlawful military presence should end given the new Syrian state. There hasn’t been any agreement between the United States of America and us, and any military presence in a sovereign state should be governed by a specific agreement,” Sharaa stated.

Additionally, Putin declared that his government was “reassessing the Russian military presence” in Syria, where Assad was supported by Moscow.

Russia dispatched a top diplomat to Damascus last week in an attempt to keep an air and naval base in Syria.

“We might reach an agreement (with them) or not, but in a way or another, any military presence should be with the agreement of the host state,” Sharaa continued.

When asked if he could see restoring relations with Israel, Sharaa responded that “we want peace with all parties,” but that it was a delicate subject due to regional conflicts and Israel’s 1967 wartime conquest of the Golan Heights from Syria.

“It is too early to discuss such a matter because it requires broad public opinion, and we have many priorities ahead of us.” To be honest, we haven’t given it much thought yet, because discussing it necessitates a lot of rules and processes.”