Unexpected announcement Trump: US raises all sanctions against Syria

The United States raises all sanctions to Syria that Washington had previously established. The American President Donald Trump announced this fairly suddenly on Tuesday during a speech In the Saudi capital Riad. « I want to give them a chance to shine, » said Trump. His audience, consisting of businessmen and members of the royal family of Saudi Arabia, then applauded loudly.

« The country has a new government that can hopefully stabilize the situation in Syria and keep it peacefully, » Trump continued. He was referring to the rebel group that knocked over the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the end of last year. In all probability, Trump will talk to Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the rebel leader and president of the transitional government in Syria.

The announcement came unexpectedly. The European Union already announced in February sanctions to alleviate to Syria, hoping to support the reconstruction of the country, but the US saw it so far. For example, the US can take punitive measures against anyone who does business with Syria, so that economic traffic stays away.

So Trump wants to stop that, a choice he says he has made in consultation with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Mohammed Bin Salman would also have been involved, the Saudi crown prince that Trump had previously received luxurious on Tuesday. « Oh, what I don’t do for the crown prince, » Trump said after he announced the lifting of sanctions.

Loading tour

Riad is Trumps first stop in a longer tour through the Middle East-the first real foreign journey of his second president period. In the coming days he will also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The visit is loaded, among other things because of the war in Gaza, the recent American attacks on the Houthis in Yemen and the negotiations on restricting the Iranian atomic program.

Trump has said that it was mainly from economic interests to the Middle East. « I come if you pay 1 trillion (thousand billion) dollars to American companies within four years, » Was Trumps requirement To visit Riad first. Saudi Arabia has now promised $ 600 billion.

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