US and EU relax sanctions against Syria – hope for peace!

US and EU relax sanctions against Syria – hope for peace!

The US government began suspending sanctions against Syria today. The aim of this decision is to promote new investments and support peace and stability in the country. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measure was a positive development for the human and economic suffering that the Syrian people have suffered for years. In a further step, US President Donald Trump announced that all sanctions against Syria should be lifted. These developments could mean drastic changes for the country, which has been torn by civil war.

At the same time, the European Union (EU) also decided to partially suspend sanctions against Syria. EU foreign ministers aim to support Syria's economic recovery, reconstruction and stabilization. The press reports that the affected economic sectors are energy, transport and the banking sector. While personal sanctions against Bashar al-Assad's family remain in place, frozen funds from five companies are to be released and four banks as well as the Syrian Central Bank and Syrian Arab Airlines are to be removed from the sanctions list.

Political goal and humanitarian aid

One of the EU's main objectives is to support an inclusive political transition and the reconstruction of the country. However, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned of a possible reversal of the suspension regarding these measures if conditions in Syria worsen. The humanitarian exemptions will be extended indefinitely, which is of great importance for the severely affected population.

So far, the sanctions have been introduced due to the violent repression of the civilian population. These changed fundamentally after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad by the Islamist HTS militia in December 2024, which led to political upheaval in the country. The newly appointed interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and the interim chancellor Alexander Schallenberg are now faced with the task of stabilizing the country.

The situation in the region

The current political developments in Syria contrast with what is happening in Ukraine, where Russia and Ukraine have carried out their largest prisoner exchange since the start of the war. There have been devastating drone and missile attacks in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in recent days, injuring at least 18 people. DW reported on the recurring challenges in this war-torn region, seen by Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Chinese President Xi Jinping as a serious geopolitical crisis.

Overall, the international community faces the challenge of both meeting the humanitarian needs in Syria and taking into account the ongoing conflicts on European soil. The political and economic measures in Syria could ultimately contribute to stability in the entire region.