What does al-Sharaa's visit to Trump reveal?
US President Donald Trump welcomed Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House in Washington on Tuesday. He praised the former head of the now disbanded terrorist militia HTS as a "strong leader" who could turn war-torn Syria into a successful country. The press reacts to the visit and the rapprochement between the two countries with surprise and admiration.
A historic turning point
For Yeni Şafak, the meeting is highly symbolic:
“The visit to Washington by al-Sharaa, who until a year ago was still on the US terror list, will go down in history as a symbol of Syria's reintegration into the international system. ... The Trump administration's suspension of sanctions and its classifying Syria as one of the key countries for reshaping the regional balance will be crucial for the upcoming post-war reconstruction process. Another major turning point is that the US has accepted the principle that Turkey's influence as a key player in the region will contribute to stability.”
Driven by mutual interests
Al-Sharaa also paid a visit to the Kremlin in mid-October, Yeni Akit points out:
“Al-Sharaa's visit to the US and meeting with Trump is of equal importance to his visit to Russia and meeting with Putin. Both visits are strategic in nature and result from the need to restructure Syria's diplomatic relations, which is undergoing radical change and trying to become independent again. The fact that Moscow is now welcoming al-Sharaa after fighting him on the battlefield and that Trump, who added al-Sharaa to the list of terrorists, is now receiving him as president has everything to do with mutual interests.”
Not over and done with
Writing in Naftemporiki, journalist Michalis Psilos describes the situation in Syria one year after the change of power:
“Violence continues to plague Syria. Innocent people are being murdered by jihadists who control the armed forces. Not a day goes by without news of attacks on Christians, Druze and Kurds. Of kidnappings, especially of Alawite women - members of the religious minority to which the fugitive former head of state Bashar al-Assad belongs. All over and done with? Think again. The jihadists' so-called reprisals against minorities in the country continue.”
Blurred boundaries
Trump's reception of a former terrorist in the White House is symbolic, Večernji list believes:
“Trump sees al-Sharaa as a useful partner for US interests in the region: curbing Iranian influence, controlling the borders with Iraq and stabilising the area between Turkey and Israel. ... But such a rehabilitation has deep symbolism. When a leader once associated with the ideological legacy of al-Qaeda and IS is now welcomed into the Oval Office, the boundaries between terrorism and diplomacy become blurred. Were Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi still alive today, it can't be ruled out that Trump, in line with his logic of 'deals over ideology', might also have met with them if it served his political interests.”
Red carpet for the former enemy
US foreign policy has changed to the point where it is unrecognisable, La Stampa quips:
“In an inscrutable world where images count for more than any geopolitical analysis, there is one image that will go down in the history books - that of Syrian [transitional] President Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as al-Julani, a notorious jihadist and long-time arch-enemy of the West, being welcomed in Washington as if he were a long-standing ally. Until a few months ago, such a scene would have seemed far-fetched even for a Netflix political fantasy series. Today, given the power dynamics shaping the new Middle East, it no longer even comes as a surprise.”
Game changer in the Middle East
Trump has already achieved more in the Middle East than his predecessors, writes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung's North America correspondent Andreas Scheiner:
“For decades, Syria was a linchpin in the Iranian-led 'axis of evil'. ... Washington wants to seize the opportunity to shift the regional balance of power. ... A deal between Syria and Israel would be a game changer for the region. ... With his unorthodox, impulse-driven Middle East policy, Trump has already achieved far more in the region than Joe Biden or even Barack Obama before him. ... Together with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, the self-proclaimed dealmaker is shaking up the region at a dizzying speed for fanatics on all sides. Trump, the foreign policy maker, is creating facts on the ground by forging ahead.”
Fragile stability in Syria
The situation in Syria remains extremely tense, warns The Irish Times:
“Clashes between the Sunni regime and Alawite forces still loyal to Assad, along with sectarian violence involving the Christian, Druze and Bedouin communities, reflect the fragility of Syria's communal patchwork and raise doubts about al-Sharaa's promises of inclusiveness. ... The new Syrian leadership must do everything possible to bring its forces under control, prevent such sectarian attacks, and bring those responsible to justice. And the international community must rally to support Syria's revival and reintegration into its ranks.”