European Union Insists on Its Three ‘Noes’ in Syria

Josep Borrell. EPA
Josep Borrell. EPA
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European Union Insists on Its Three ‘Noes’ in Syria

Josep Borrell. EPA
Josep Borrell. EPA

The European Union has reconfirmed rejection to normalization with the Syrian regime, to reconstruction and to lifting of sanctions until a political solution in line with UN Security Council resolution 2254 is firmly underway.

“Yesterday marked 11 years since the beginning of the tragic and bloody conflict in Syria,” said High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.

“Unfortunately, the conflict continues still today, and the humanitarian needs are at their highest with 14.6 million Syrian people in need of assistance inside and outside of the country. Syrian refugees constitute the largest displacement crisis in the world with 5.7 million registered refugees. Another 6.9 million Syrian nationals are displaced within Syria.”

He went on saying that “the Syrian people remain a priority for the European Union. The international community must keep up the search for a durable and comprehensible political solution in Syria, and the European Union remains fully committed to this goal.”

“At their meeting with UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen at the Foreign Affairs Council on 24 January, EU Foreign Ministers restated their unity and reconfirmed the EU’s position: no normalization with the Syrian regime, no reconstruction and no lifting of sanctions until a political solution in line with UN Security Council resolution 2254 is firmly underway.

At the same time, the European Union continues to support the efforts of UN Special Envoy Pedersen, including his “steps-for-steps” approach, and remains committed to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian state.”

Borrell noted that on 10 May, “the European Union will co-chair with the UN a sixth Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the region, with the participation of governments, international organizations and Syrian civil society.”

The European Union and its Member States remain the largest provider of international aid and deliver humanitarian, stabilization, and resilience assistance inside Syria and in neighboring countries.

Last year the EU as a whole pledged €3.7 billion in total for 2021 and beyond. Since 2011, the EU and its Member States have mobilized over €25 billion for the conflict in Syria, according to Borrell.

“Eleven years have passed on the US-backed terrorist aggression on Syria that mainly aimed to obstruct its economic development, shed blood of Syrian youths and destroy its achievements and infrastructure,” SANA reported, citing Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

On Wednesday, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America released a joint statement on the occasion of the 11-year anniversary of the beginning of the Syrian conflict.

“It is past time for the regime and its enablers, including Russia and Iran, to halt their ruthless attack on the Syrian people,” the statement read.

“The coincidence of this year’s anniversary with the appalling Russian aggression against Ukraine” they said, “highlights Russia’s brutal and destructive behavior in both conflicts.”

“We do not support efforts to normalize relations with the Assad regime and will not normalize relations ourselves, nor lift sanctions or fund reconstruction until there is irreversible progress towards a political solution.

We encourage all parties, especially the Syrian regime, to participate in the March 21 meeting of the Constitutional Committee in good faith and call for the Committee to deliver on its mandate.”



Israel Says Missile Launched from Yemen Was Intercepted

Yemenis brandish their rifles and chant slogans during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and the Gaza Strip and in condemnation of Israel and the US, in the Houthi-run capital Sanaa on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
Yemenis brandish their rifles and chant slogans during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and the Gaza Strip and in condemnation of Israel and the US, in the Houthi-run capital Sanaa on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
TT
20

Israel Says Missile Launched from Yemen Was Intercepted

Yemenis brandish their rifles and chant slogans during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and the Gaza Strip and in condemnation of Israel and the US, in the Houthi-run capital Sanaa on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
Yemenis brandish their rifles and chant slogans during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and the Gaza Strip and in condemnation of Israel and the US, in the Houthi-run capital Sanaa on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)

Yemen's Houthi militant group said on Thursday they had attacked Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv area with a ballistic missile, while the Israeli military said the missile from Yemen was intercepted after air raid sirens were triggered in several parts of the country.

Most of the dozens of missiles and drones they have launched have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have been firing at Israel and attacking shipping lanes. Traffic through the Red Sea, a critical waterway for the world's oil and commodities, has dropped since the Houthi militia began targeting ships in November 2023 in what the group said was solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.

Houthis said in May they would impose a "comprehensive" aerial blockade on Israel by repeatedly targeting its airports.