Trump says he is mulling lifting US sanctions on Syria, hopes for ‘fresh start’ with Damascus

President Donald Trump said Monday that he is considering the removal of US sanctions on Syria, as he wants to create a “fresh start” for Damascus, Anadolu reports.

Trump said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan requested that he lift US economic penalties on Syria, and acknowledged ongoing discussions with Ankara over the situation in the country after December’s ouster of the Assad regime.

“We’re going to have to make a decision on the sanctions, which we may very well relieve. We may take them off of Syria because we want to give them a fresh start. But President Erdogan has asked me about that, many people have asked me about that,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

“The way we have them sanctioned, it doesn’t really give them much of a start. So we want to see if we can help them out. So we’ll make that determination,” he added.

The statements are the latest signaling that the West may soon lift its sanctions on Syria as it seeks to rebuild following nearly 15 years of a devastating civil war.

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French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that the EU would gradually lift its sanctions on Syria.

“I told the president that if he continues on his path, we will continue on ours: first, by gradually lifting European economic sanctions,” Macron said as he hosted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris.

He said the bloc would further initiate a “process of persuasion” with the US so that they engage along the same path with Washington, and would also work with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to establish a regional framework allowing Syria “to see its talents and vital forces return to it.”

“To do this, it will be necessary to provide guarantees on the proper use of international funds. France will ensure that the priorities it considers essential are taken into account in this framework, because, as I have said, the stability and unity of Syria are also essential for the stability of the Middle East,” Macron said.

He reaffirmed that he would advocate for the sanctions, imposed during the former Assad regime, “not to be renewed” and actively work with some member states who still have “hesitations.”

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