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EU Reiterates Refusal to Normalize Ties with Syrian Regime

Syrians are seen at a refugee camp near Afrin in the Aleppo countryside on Saturday. (dpa)
Syrians are seen at a refugee camp near Afrin in the Aleppo countryside on Saturday. (dpa)
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EU Reiterates Refusal to Normalize Ties with Syrian Regime

Syrians are seen at a refugee camp near Afrin in the Aleppo countryside on Saturday. (dpa)
Syrians are seen at a refugee camp near Afrin in the Aleppo countryside on Saturday. (dpa)

The European Union reiterated on Friday its rejection of any rapprochement with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Head of the EU mission to Syria, Dan Stoenescu held talks with head of the Syrian opposition Negotiations Commission Bader Jamous in Istanbul.

In a tweet, Stoenescu said: “We talked about the need of stepping up efforts to revive the Constitutional Committee and the political process in Geneva.”

“I assured him of the continuous commitment of the EU to the full implementation of United Nations Secuity Council resolution 2254,” he added.

He stressed that the EU rejects any normalization with the regime, the lifting of sanctions or embarking on Syria’s reconstruction before Damascus engages in the political transition process and commits fully to resolution 2254.

For his part, Jamous tweeted that the solution in Syria does not lie in humanitarian aid, but rather through a political solution that meets the aspirations of its people.

Any delay in reaching the solution will only deepen the suffering of Syrians inside Syria and abroad, he added.

Moreover, he urged the need to increase aid to the Syrian refugees in neighboring Lebanon and the internally displaced in northern Syria.

A delegation from the Negotiations Commission had also recently met with the EU’s Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa (EEAS) Helene Le Gal in Brussels.

The delegation had underscored the dire humanitarian “catastrophe” in Syria and urged the EU to increase aid in opposition-held regions.

Le Gal stressed that there can be no normalization with Damascus until progress is made in the political process.

Russia, meanwhile, has been intensifying its contacts to maintain the momentum in its drive to normalize ties between Türkiye and the Damascus regime. It added that Iran would be taking part in these efforts.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar had announced on Wednesday that a technical meeting will be held soon to follow up on the implementation of the agreement reached between the defense ministers and heads of intelligence of Türkiye, Russia and Syria in Moscow on December 28.

He stressed that Türkiye’s rapprochement with the regime aims to combat terrorism, secure the safe return of Syrian refugees to their country and achieve stability in Syria.

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Sudanese War Escalates as Army and RSF Leaders Vow to Fight Till the End

Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)
Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)
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Sudanese War Escalates as Army and RSF Leaders Vow to Fight Till the End

Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)
Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)

The military rhetoric intensified as warring factions in Sudan—Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti)— vowed to fight until the complete elimination of the other.

Their statements come amid significant battlefield developments, with the Sudanese army recently announcing full control over the capital, Khartoum, after expelling RSF forces.

During his Eid speech, Burhan pledged that his forces would continue fighting until victory, ruling out any peace deal unless the RSF surrenders its weapons. Meanwhile, Hemedti declared that his forces, which withdrew from Khartoum, would return stronger and more determined.

In a voice message on Telegram, Hemedti acknowledged that RSF troops had pulled out of Khartoum last week as the army consolidated its gains in the capital.

He said: “It’s true that in recent days, our forces withdrew to reposition in Omdurman. This was a strategic decision by our leadership and operations command. It was a collective decision.”

He added: “We assure you that, yes, we have left Khartoum, but by God’s will, we will return stronger, more resilient, and victorious... This war is far from over. In fact, it has only just begun.”

Speculation has arisen over the RSF’s withdrawal from Khartoum without significant fighting, leading to rumors of a possible undisclosed agreement between the two sides. However, both Burhan and Hemedti have categorically denied any such deal.

The country has effectively become divided into two parts, with the army controlling the north and east, while the Rapid Support Forces hold most of Darfur in the west and some areas in the south.

During the fragile political transition following the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, Burhan and Hemedti formed a temporary alliance to expel civilian figures from the government before engaging in a bloody power struggle that later escalated into open war.

Despite the setback suffered by the RSF in the capital at the hands of the army, the country remains de facto divided into two regions: the army controls eastern and northern Sudan, while the RSF holds almost the entire vast region of Darfur in the west and parts of the south.