US President Donald Trump met with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the first encounter between leaders of the two nations in 25 years — and a historic one that saw Trump clear the way for sanctions relief.
As Trump set out to leave Riyadh on Wednesday, the US leader praised al-Sharaa to reporters, saying he was a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” Trump said. “He’s a real leader. He led a charge, and he’s pretty amazing.”
The meeting, on the sidelines of Trump’s summit with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in Riyadh, represents a significant shift for Syria, which is attempting to chart a new path after Bashar al-Assad’s abrupt fall from power last year.
After the two men’s meeting, Trump told the GCC he was “ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give them a fresh start”.
“It gives them a chance for greatness. The sanctions were really crippling, very powerful.” he said.
For its part, Syria’s Foreign Ministry said Trump and al-Sharaa discussed how the US and Syria could partner to fight groups such as the so-called Islamic State (IS) group that threaten the stability of the region.
In Damascus, thousands across several cities cheered in the streets and set off fireworks on Tuesday night to celebrate the end of the sanctions, hopeful that their nation, long locked out of the global financial system, might rejoin the world’s economy.
The face-to-face encounter between Trump and al-Sharaa on Wednesday was especially noteworthy since the Syrian leader previously had connections to al-Qaeda and had joined rebels fighting US forces in Iraq before the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011. For several years, US troops had even held him captive.
The meeting also came despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly advising Trump not to lift sanctions on Syria, prompting insinuations of a growing rift between the White House and the Israeli government as its deadly war in the Gaza Strip continues.
How did the historic meeting go?
According to the White House, Trump’s meeting with al-Sharaa was held behind closed doors and lasted just over 30 minutes.
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump called on al-Sharaa to “tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria”, diplomatically recognise Israel, and assist the US in preventing the IS group from resurging.
Reporters were not allowed to witness the event, which made al-Sharaa the first Syrian leader to meet an American president since Hafez al-Assad visited Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly joined the meeting via a phone call. Turkey was a main backer of al-Sharaa and his rebel faction.
“I felt very strongly that this would give them a chance,” Trump said of Syria. “It’s not going to be easy anyway, so it gives them a good, strong chance. And, it was my honour to do so.”
Arab leaders rally behind al-Sharaa
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump attributed his decision to lift sanctions on Syria in large part to Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud’s intervention.
“We made a speech last night, and that was the thing that got the biggest applause from the room.”
Bin Salman commended the decision in a speech to the GCC, saying it “will alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.”
Before its ruinous war that began in 2011, Syria struggled under a tightly controlled state-planned economy and sanctions imposed by the US, which first deemed it a state sponsor of terror in 1979.
Analysts believe that Trump’s opening to Damascus could mark a turning point for the new government, which is backed by many Arab leaders.
