US President Donald Trump has said he is likely to remove Syria from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, praising Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa for the progress in stabilising and unifying the country.
“I think I will. Why wouldn’t I?” Trump said on Wednesday when asked whether Washington would remove Syria from the terrorism list.
His remarks came during a meeting with al Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Trump said the Syrian leader had done “a great job,” adding: “That’s a good question. Yeah, I will.”
“Syria has become very stable,” Trump said. “It’s really been stabilised, and we’re proud of that.”
Praise for Syrian leadership
Trump offered strong praise for al Sharaa, crediting him with bringing the country together in a short period of time.
“He’s done a really fantastic job as president. He’s unified the country in a very short period of time,” Trump said, describing him as a “strong person” who is “respected by everybody.”
Reflecting on Syria’s transition, Trump said the country had initially been a “real mess” and a “very disjointed place” before the new administration brought it together.
“We released sanctions from the country, which really, I think, was a big boost,” Trump said. “We’re proud of the job he’s doing.”
Major achievement
Al Sharaa said that Syria had made a major achievement in unifying the country over the past year and a half, citing the lifting of US sanctions as well as support from Türkiye and Gulf nations.
"In the past year and a half, we have achieved a great accomplishment in unifying the country and setting it on the right path," al Sharaa said during the joint news conference.
“This is thanks to the strong Syrian people and to the historic decision made by Trump to lift the sanctions on Syria,” he said.
“It is also thanks to the help of all our friends in the region, from Türkiye and the Gulf to other countries in the region,” he added.
Regional security
Trump also suggested that the new Syrian government could play a role in countering regional threats.
Asked whether Syria would assist in the fight against Hezbollah, Trump said: “They could help. We’ll find out. I think we’re making a lot of progress.”
Trump said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
“I think they want to,” he said, claiming Israel is “getting along” with Lebanon.
Türkiye is hosting the NATO summit on Tuesday and Wednesday for the second time after the 2004 Istanbul summit, with the gathering taking place amid mounting challenges facing the alliance and the broader international security environment.
