The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Edit post

EU agrees to ease sanctions on Syria following Assad's fall, chief diplomat says

by Tim Zadorozhnyy January 27, 2025 8:38 PM 2 min read
Syrian rebel fighters celebrate at the Clock Tower in the heart of the central city of Homs early on Dec. 8, 2024, after rebel forces entered Syria's third city overnight. (Aaref Watad / AFP via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

The European Union's foreign ministers reached a political agreement on Jan. 27 to ease sanctions on Syria following the collapse of dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The move comes as opposition forces captured Damascus on Dec. 8 in a rapid offensive, toppling Assad after 24 years in power.

"While we aim to move fast, the lifting of sanctions can be reversed if wrong steps are taken," EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas posted on X, adding that the EU plans to scale up humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts in Syria.

The agreement may include lifting energy and transportation-related sanctions, though restrictions on financial transactions remain under discussion, Reuters reported on Jan. 26.

The policy shift reflects growing support within the EU for cooperating with Syria's new leadership. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron previously expressed their readiness to work with the rebel forces that ousted Assad.

Syria has also taken steps to distance itself from Russia. The port of Tartus recently terminated a 49-year investment deal with Russian construction company Stroytransgaz.

Ukraine has also engaged with Syria's new leadership. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha visited Damascus on Dec. 30 to discuss Russia's military presence in Syria.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi noted that Kyiv and Syria share similar views on the issue, though specific details were not disclosed.

EU suspends visa privileges for Georgian officials over democratic backsliding
“Fundamental rights and democratic values are core principles of EU integration. Officials that represent a country which trample down these values should not benefit from easier access to the EU,” said Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s interior minister.

News Feed

8:08 PM

Ukrainians react to US proposal of recognizing Crimea as Russian.

The U.S. media outlet Axios reported on April 23 that the U.S. President Donald Trump administration's final proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war included the U.S. de jure recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and de facto recognizing its control of other occupied Ukrainian territories. We asked Kyiv residents for their reactions to the U.S. proposal.
7:21 PM  (Updated: )

Trump says 'nobody is asking' Ukraine to recognize Crimea as Russian.

"Nobody is asking (President Volodymyr) Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory, but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?" U.S. President Donald Trump wrote.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.