US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa spoke to the press ahead of their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, with discussions focusing on Syria’s political transition, sanctions relief and regional security. Trump praised Syria’s history and said al-Sharaa had done a “great job”, while al-Sharaa thanked him for lifting US sanctions, calling it a historic decision that would help rebuild the country. Trump said he expected to remove Syria from the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list and suggested Damascus could help address the issue of Hezbollah in Lebanon. The US president also defended his relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, discussed Israeli troop withdrawals from southern Lebanon, and repeated claims about US strikes against Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Al Jazeera diplomatic editor James Bays analysed the implications of Syria’s possible role in Lebanon and the balancing act between US ties with Turkey and Israel.
Comments (0)