The EU agreed to ease sanctions against Syria

The foreign ministers of the EU member states have agreed on a roadmap for easing EU sanctions against Syria.

This was reported by the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas.

"While we aim to move quickly, the lifting of sanctions could be reversed if the wrong steps are taken," she added.

Kallas did not provide details, but Reuters reported that the move was aimed at suspending sanctions related to energy and transport.

EU diplomats also recommended "assessing options for restoring banking and investment relations with Syria".

"The easing of EU restrictive measures will be carried out in a phased and retroactive manner, with a regular assessment of whether conditions in Syria allow for further easing," the documents, which were reviewed by journalists, state.

The wording of the document is a compromise between EU capitals, with some governments wanting to act quickly to suspend sanctions, while others prefer a more cautious and gradual approach so that Europe retains leverage.

According to the document, a number of sanctions should remain in force, including measures related to the Assad regime, illegal drug trafficking, and arms trafficking.

The overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria

On December 8, 2024, the Syrian opposition entered the Syrian capital, Damascus, and overthrew the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who had been in power for 24 years. Assad himself fled to Moscow.

Syrian rebels are forming a transitional government — it is headed by Muhammad Bashir, who led the "Salvation Government" — a political structure created in 2017 in territories controlled by the Syrian opposition, primarily in the province of Idlib.

The leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group and de facto leader of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa (better known as Muhammad al-Julani), has said that the country is exhausted by war and poses no threat to its neighbors or the West. He is calling for the lifting of international sanctions on Syria, as they were imposed against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which has already fallen.

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