Chemical Weapons, Sanctions, and SDF Integration Top Syria-US Agenda The Trump administration’s reassessment of its Syria policy opens new pathways for cooperation but faces major geopolitical hurdles By Rizik Alabi/The Media Line [Damascus] Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani held a landmark meeting in Istanbul on Saturday with US Ambassador to Turkey […]
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The Media Line: Chemical Weapons, Sanctions, and SDF Integration Top Syria-US Agenda
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Chemical Weapons, Sanctions, and SDF Integration Top Syria-US Agenda
The Trump administration’s reassessment of its Syria policy opens new pathways for cooperation but faces major geopolitical hurdles
By Rizik Alabi/The Media Line
[Damascus] Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani held a landmark meeting in Istanbul on Saturday with US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who was appointed a day earlier as US special envoy for Syria.
They were joined by several senior Turkish officials. The diplomatic encounter marks the most significant engagement between Syria and the United States since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011. Observers described the summit as a decisive shift in Syrian-American relations and a potential prelude to reshaping regional power dynamics.
The summit took place during a period of heightened political activity following US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement in Riyadh that sanctions on Syria would be lifted. That decision paved the way for Syria’s return to regional and international diplomacy after years of isolation, economic penalties, and exclusion from global forums.