The Syrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa (left) exchanges a handshake with U.S. President Donald Trump during a tripartite meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last May 14. (Credit: Bandar al-Jaloud/AFP)
No Syrian president was ever received in the Oval Office. Eleven months after his unexpected rise to power, Ahmad al-Sharaa will be received by Donald Trump on Nov. 10, thus becoming the first Syrian president to enter the White House. This visit, which is perceived as a major step in Sharaa’s rehabilitation, is part of a U.S. strategy to reshape the regional balance of power. But the interactions between the two leaders, which began in May, remain largely symbolic. Beyond the diplomatic images, the key issues — lifting sanctions, security with Israel, the fight against the Islamic State (IS) — remain unresolved, while the calculations of Trump and Sharaa converge without ever really aligning. Sharaa is seeking rapid international recognition; Trump is pursuing the pragmatic goal of stabilizing the Syrian front without committing...
No Syrian president was ever received in the Oval Office. Eleven months after his unexpected rise to power, Ahmad al-Sharaa will be received by Donald Trump on Nov. 10, thus becoming the first Syrian president to enter the White House. This visit, which is perceived as a major step in Sharaa’s rehabilitation, is part of a U.S. strategy to reshape the regional balance of power. But the interactions between the two leaders, which began in May, remain largely symbolic. Beyond the diplomatic images, the key issues — lifting sanctions, security with Israel, the fight against the Islamic State (IS) — remain unresolved, while the calculations of Trump and Sharaa converge without ever really aligning. Sharaa is seeking rapid international recognition; Trump is pursuing the pragmatic goal of stabilizing the Syrian front without...
'American sponsorship is a guarantee,' says Lebanese-American coordination committee