Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa spoke with US President Donald Trump, as the US seeks to make sure a ceasefire in eastern Syria continues to keep the peace between the Syrian government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
The SDF is a largely Kurdish-led group the US has supported since 2015 in the war on ISIS. The US is also transferring ISIS detainees to Iraq and wants this to go smoothly.
According to Syrian state media SANA, Sharaa “received [on] Tuesday a lengthy phone call from US President Donald Trump, during which they exchanged views on developments related to Syria’s transitional phase, efforts aimed at enhancing security and stability, as well as prospects for bilateral cooperation in a way that serves regional and international stability.”
The call came amid increasing concerns in Washington regarding the clashes with the SDF. US Senator Lindsey Graham had even called for sanctions on Syria if attacks on Kurds continue. He has also called for the introduction of a bill in Congress that would “save the Kurds.”
SANA in Damascus noted that during the Sharaa-Trump call, “President Al-Sharaa reaffirmed Syria’s full commitment to its territorial unity and national sovereignty and Syria’s determination to preserve its institutions and strengthen civil peace. He stressed the importance of unifying international efforts to prevent the return of terrorist organizations, foremost among them Daesh [ISIS].”
Trump, al-Sharaa stress dialogue for regional stability
Sharaa emphasized that Syria is seeking to be open and cooperate with international partners. Sharaa and the US president “agreed on the necessity of prioritizing dialogue as a means to resolve regional disputes, with President Al-Sharaa stressing that ‘active diplomacy’ is the only path to overcoming the region’s protracted crises,” SANA noted.
Trump welcomed the ceasefire with the SDF and “commended the understandings related to the integration of military forces, including the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), into official institutions,” Syrian state media said.
Syria has held a meeting with the SDF. In addition, Iraq’s Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani held a call with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi on Monday. They spoke to “discuss de-escalation in northeast Syria (Rojava) and the transfer of Islamic State (ISIS) detainees to Iraq. This comes as a prominent US diplomat warned of a potential resurgence of the extremist group amid escalating violence.”
Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Region in Iraq has transferred aid to the Kurds in Syria. There are currently concerns that the border crossing between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and eastern Syria might be closed.
As Syria seeks to continue the ceasefire and also work with the US to avoid tension, Syria’s president is also heading to Russia. He was expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on Wednesday.
“President al-Sharaa will meet with the Russian president to discuss aspects of developing bilateral relations between the two countries, in addition to discussing developments in the Middle East region,” the Syrian Presidency’s Media Directorate told SANA.
Sharaa was previously in Russia in October. Moscow has a military base in northwest Syria, and it backed the previous Assad regime in Syria.
Describing the October meeting, SANA wrote, “An expanded meeting was also held between the two presidents, attended by a number of senior officials from both sides, during which the two leaders tackled means of strengthening joint cooperation between both states in various sectors.”