Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived at the White House on Monday for what is expected to be an important and momentous meeting with the US president and officials. The meeting comes a day after the Syrian leader arrived in Washington for a historic visit.
The visit is the first by a Syrian leader. For many years, the US and Syria were estranged when the Assad regime was in charge. The visit has important ramifications for the US role in Syria against ISIS and also potentially in terms of Israel-Syria relations.
The visit by Sharaa has raised some eyebrows. For instance, some pointed out that the Syrian leader appeared to enter the White House through the West Executive Avenue entrance. Some have said this would appear to downplay the reception of the Syrian leader slightly than more formal receptions. It was not clear why this choice was made.
Sharaa is still a transitional leader. He has been bringing Syria in from the cold via meetings around the Middle East and in Europe. He has been to Russia and was recently in Brazil. He has done important outreach to Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
He also met US President Donald Trump back in May. He was in the US for the UN General Assembly in September and held important meetings at the time.
US renews suspensions of some sanctions on Syria as Sharaa, Trump meet
The current trip is aimed at having the historic meeting with Trump as well as getting all sanctions on Syria removed. During the meeting, Washington suspended the imposition of Caesar Act sanctions on Syria in part for 180 days, the Treasury Department said.
Also on Monday, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast met with Sharaa.
According to a statement by Mast, the two men “broke bread” and had a long and serious conversation about building a future for the people of Syria. Mast noted that “he and I are two former soldiers and two former enemies.” Mast asked the Syrian if they are no longer enemies. Sharaa said he wants to “liberate from the past” and be an ally of the US.
Jasmine Naamou wrote on social media that she was “proud to have facilitated a milestone meeting between Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Brian Mast.
This marked a meaningful step toward renewed cooperation, security, and peace for Syria and the region.” She wrote that, along with her husband Tarek Naemo, “we have spent months nurturing relationships built on trust and shared purpose. This meeting represents the fruit of that quiet work, bridging perspectives and paving the way for a more stable future.”
In addition to making sure Syria is not under sanctions, Sharaa also met with the IMF. The “Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stated on Monday that the IMF is ready to support Syria’s economic recovery,” Syrian state media said. Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director, wrote that “it was a privilege to welcome President Ahmad al-Sharaa to the IMF. We discussed the economic transformation Syrians need and deserve.”
In addition, Syrian state media noted that “President Ahmad al-Sharaa met with representatives of Syrian-American organizations in Washington on Sunday, according to a statement by the Presidency on its Telegram channel.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani attended the meeting.” The report added that “the President praised the organizations’ contributions to raising awareness of Syrian issues and strengthening Syria’s active presence within American society. He emphasized the importance of their role in supporting national causes and deepening ties with the homeland.”
As Sharaa visited the White House, there were questions about how this would affect US ties with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the US-backed force in eastern Syria.
This force was organized 10 years ago and defeated ISIS in Syria in 2019. The US appears to want to bring the new Syrian government into the coalition against ISIS. This could be shifting some US forces to Syrian government-controlled areas of Syria. The US has some forces in SDF-held areas in eastern Syria and in Tanf, a small desert garrison near the Jordanian border.