EU Cautiously Agrees Roadmap to Ease Sanctions on Syria in Wake of Assad’s Downfall

 People walk in front of the historic Hejaz train station in Damascus on January 26, 2025. (AFP)
People walk in front of the historic Hejaz train station in Damascus on January 26, 2025. (AFP)
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EU Cautiously Agrees Roadmap to Ease Sanctions on Syria in Wake of Assad’s Downfall

 People walk in front of the historic Hejaz train station in Damascus on January 26, 2025. (AFP)
People walk in front of the historic Hejaz train station in Damascus on January 26, 2025. (AFP)

European Union foreign ministers on Monday agreed to begin lifting sanctions on Syria, while insisting that the measures should be reimposed if they see any abuses by the country’s new rulers.

The EU started to impose asset freezes and travel bans on Syrian officials and organizations in 2011 in response to Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on protesters, which festered into a civil war.

The 27-nation bloc targeted 316 people and 86 entities accused of backing Syria’s former ruler. It is keen to lift those measures if Syria’s new leaders set the country on the path to a peaceful political future involving all minority groups and in which extremism and former allies Russia and Iran have no place.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ministers had agreed on a “roadmap” for easing sanctions. Speaking after chairing the meeting, she said, the aim was to lift those measures “that are most hindering the early buildup of the country and to move from there.”

She underlined that the ministers had only reached “a political agreement” - not one to start easing the measures immediately - and that “there are also technical issues to be solved” in the weeks ahead before any sanctions can be lifted.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani welcomed on Monday the EU's decision to lift sanctions, describing it as a “positive step” in a post on X.

Kallas said that an easing of sanctions “could give a boost to the Syrian economy and help the country get back on its feet.” But she added: “While we aim to move fast, we also are ready to reverse the course if the situation worsens.”

The ministers favor on a “snap back” mechanism to reimpose sanctions if they believe that Syria's new leaders are heading in the wrong direction.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said the aim would be to lift restrictions on things like Syria’s infrastructure and energy sector “so that the country can develop itself again.” He said that “certain sanctions will stay in place, such as (on) weapons exports.”

Since Damascus fell on Dec. 8 and Assad fled to Moscow, Syria’s transition has appeared promising, but the new leadership has yet to lay out a clear vision of how the country will be governed.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group – a former al-Qaeda affiliate that the EU and UN consider to be a terrorist organization – has established itself as Syria’s de facto rulers after coordinating with the southern fighters during the offensive late last year.

Veldkamp said that the restrictions on HTS itself would not be eased initially. “They’re the new ones in power. We want to see how their words are translated into actions,” he told reporters.



Rubio Told Egypt about Need to Stop Hamas from Governing Gaza Again

Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
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Rubio Told Egypt about Need to Stop Hamas from Governing Gaza Again

Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Egypt's foreign minister on Tuesday it was important to ensure Hamas can never govern Gaza again, the State Department said, with their call coming after President Donald Trump suggested Egypt and Jordan should take more Palestinians.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Trump on Saturday floated a plan to "clean out" Gaza, where Israel's war has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis, in comments that echoed long-standing Palestinian fears of being permanently driven from their homes.

The suggestion by Trump was not mentioned in the US State Department statement released on Tuesday after the call between Rubio and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Reuters said.

Jordan and Egypt had pushed back over the weekend after Trump's comments that they should take in Palestinians from Gaza. Asked if this was a temporary or long-term solution, Trump had said: "Could be either."

KEY QUOTES

"He (Rubio) also reinforced the importance of holding Hamas accountable," the State Department said after Tuesday's call.

"The Secretary reiterated the importance of close cooperation to advance post-conflict planning to ensure Hamas can never govern Gaza or threaten Israel again."

CONTEXT

Rubio held a call a day earlier with Jordan's King Abdullah and the US statement after that call, too, did not mention Trump's remarks on Palestinian displacement. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas group attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza killed over 47,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, and led to accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The fighting has currently paused amid a fragile ceasefire.