President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday to lift sanctions on Syria, arguing that removing penalties imposed on the former dictatorship would give the new leadership a chance — despite its leader’s terrorist history.
Delivering a speech in Saudi Arabia during his high-stakes Middle East tour, Trump said the act would give Syria “a chance at greatness.”
“In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace,” Trump said. “That’s what we want to see.”
The next day, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom he described as a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
The meeting between Trump and Shaara was the first meeting between an American president and a Syrian leader in 25 years.
