Trump offers Syria olive branch that could end economic isolation

Syria has praised Donald Trump’s openness to sanction relief for the Middle Eastern country. This sanctions relief could be the olive branch that the Syrian economy needs to progress toward stability.
According to The National, Donald Trump shared his perspective on sanctions relief to the new Syrian government that came to power in December 2024 during a press briefing on May 13.
“We are going to have to make a decision on the sanctions, which we may very well relieve. We may take them off of Syria because we want to give them a fresh start,” Trump stated.
The Trump administration currently does not recognise Syria’s government, maintaining restrictions and sanctions which were placed on the previous Assad regime upon the new government.
The new comments made by Trump appear to suggest that sanctions, which currently are crippling the Syrian economy, may be lifted soon as the new Syrian government looks to build relationships with the West, as al-Sharaa met Macron in Paris and has been invited to the UK by Starmer.
The Syrian government still has a lot to prove to the West, and the new president knows the importance of sanction relief to his government’s stability and country’s economy.
In an interview with the New York Times in April, al-Sharaa called on the USA and the West to remove sanctions which were placed on the Assad regime in order for his new government to advance the country.
To analysts, it appears clear that the Western leaders are warming to the new Syrian leader and government, but reservations are still held.
Al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, was the longtime commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States, United Nations, and European Union.
Al-Sharaa’s history as leader of a designated terrorist organisation continues to generate wariness in diplomatic circles.
Western nations are cautiously monitoring the new government’s actions before fully committing to engagement, seeking evidence that this administration marks a genuine departure from both the Assad regime and al-Sharaa’s militant past.
The new comments by Trump appear to be an important step for the Syrian government’s economic future prospects and for their relationship with the West.
The National/Maghrebi.org
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