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World Reaction to End of Assad Rule in Syria

(FILES) Syrian president Bashar al-Assad gestures as he delivers a speech at the Elysee Palace in Paris on December 9, 2010, after sharing a working lunch with his French counterpart during a two-day official visit to France. (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP)
(FILES) Syrian president Bashar al-Assad gestures as he delivers a speech at the Elysee Palace in Paris on December 9, 2010, after sharing a working lunch with his French counterpart during a two-day official visit to France. (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP)
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World Reaction to End of Assad Rule in Syria

(FILES) Syrian president Bashar al-Assad gestures as he delivers a speech at the Elysee Palace in Paris on December 9, 2010, after sharing a working lunch with his French counterpart during a two-day official visit to France. (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP)
(FILES) Syrian president Bashar al-Assad gestures as he delivers a speech at the Elysee Palace in Paris on December 9, 2010, after sharing a working lunch with his French counterpart during a two-day official visit to France. (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP)

Following are reactions from around the world to events in Syria. Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters, following a rapid offensive by the opposition that took the world by surprise.
US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
"President Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners," the White House said in a statement.
US PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP
"Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer," Trump posted on X. "Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success."
ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANTONIO TAJANI
"I am following with concerned attention the evolution of the situation in Syria. I am in constant contact with our embassy in Damascus and with the office of the Prime Minister. I have called an emergency meeting at 10:30 at the Foreign Ministry", Tajani said on X.
UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA GEIR PEDERSEN
Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen underscores the clear desire expressed by millions of Syrians that stable and inclusive transitional arrangements are put in place, a statement said.
He urged all Syrians to prioritize dialogue, unity, and respect for international humanitarian law and human rights as they seek to rebuild their society, adding he stands ready to support the Syrian people in their journey toward a stable and inclusive future.
PHILIPPINES' DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Philippines calls on all concerned parties to exercise restraint and refrain from further violence, to avert further casualties and deaths of civilians.
We express concern regarding the situation of our Filipinos in Syria and advise them to take the necessary precautions and stay in contact with the Philippine Embassy in Damascus.

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Italy Says Suspending EU Sanctions on Syria Could Help Encourage Transition

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (SANA via AP)
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (SANA via AP)
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Italy Says Suspending EU Sanctions on Syria Could Help Encourage Transition

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (SANA via AP)
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (SANA via AP)

Italy's foreign minister says a moratorium on European Union sanctions on Syria could help encourage the country's transition after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad by opposition groups.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani visited Syria on Friday and expressed Italy’s keen interest in helping Syria recover from civil war, rebuild its broken economy and help stabilize the region.

Tajani, who met with Syria’s new de facto leaders, including Ahmed al-Sharaa, said a stable Syria and Lebanon was of strategic and commercial importance to Europe.

He said the fall of Assad's government, as well as the Lebanon parliament's vote on Thursday to elect army commander Joseph Aoun as president, were signs of optimism for Middle East stability.

He said Italy wanted to play a leading role in Syria’s recovery and serve as a bridge between Damascus and the EU, particularly given Italy’s commercial and strategic interests in the Mediterranean.

“The Mediterranean can no longer just be a sea of death, a cemetery of migrants but a sea of commerce a sea of development,” he said.

Tajani later traveled to Lebanon and met with Aoun. Italy has long played a sizeable role in the UN peacekeeping force for Lebanon, UNIFIL.

On the eve of his visit, Tajani presided over a meeting in Rome with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and officials from Britain, France and Germany as well as the EU foreign policy chief. He said that meeting of the so-called Quintet on Syria was key to begin the discussion about a change to the EU sanctions.

“The sanctions were against the Assad regime. If the situation has changed, we have to change our choices,” Tajani said.