EU delegation meets interim president

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa visited Damascus Friday and met interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in the first trip to Syria by top EU officials since the war ended. The leaders offered political and reconstruction support as Syria seeks to recover from nearly 14 years of conflict that culminated in a December 2024 rebel offensive which ousted Bashar al-Assad; von der Leyen posted on X that Europe would do everything it can to back Syria’s renewal, and Costa said the visit signaled continued EU support.

The visit comes amid persistent security and governance challenges: the interim government faces economic strain, outbreaks of sectarian violence and difficulty consolidating control across the country. Recent clashes in Aleppo between government forces and Kurdish fighters occurred as talks stalled over merging the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into a new national army; Syria’s Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire, but there was no public confirmation from the SDF. The EU delegation was set to continue its regional tour with a stop in Lebanon. as reported by ABC News