Trump wants to lift all US sanctions on Syria: Can he?
Removing some sanctions on Syria could require congressional action, and one expert warned that rescinding all the measures could decrease the US’ leverage with the new government in Damascus.
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he plans to lift all sanctions on Syria ahead of a surprise meeting with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on Wednesday.
What happened: The announcement came during Trump’s speech to the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh during his first major foreign visit, which includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump said, adding, “The sanctions were brutal and crippling. … Now it’s their [Syria’s] time to shine. We’re taking them all off.”
Trump has also “agreed to say hello” to the Syrian leader on the sidelines of his meetings in Riyadh on Wednesday, a White House official told Al-Monitor’s Elizabeth Hagedorn, speaking on condition of anonymity. The president also said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani during a visit to Turkey on Thursday.
