The United States has submitted a draft resolution within the U.N. Security Council to remove sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The Associated Press obtained the draft resolution, expected to go up for a vote as early as Thursday. It requires the support of nine members and no vetoes from “China, Russia, Britain, France, and the United States.”
Announcing al-Sharaa’s upcoming visit to the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “When the president was in the Middle East, he made the historic decision to lift sanctions on Syria to give them a real chance at peace and I think the administration, we’ve seen good progress on that front under their new leadership.”
President Trump met with al-Sharaa in May. At the time, he described the Syrian leader as a “[y]oung, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” Trump said. “He’s a real leader. He led a charge and he’s pretty amazing.”
In June, President Trump signed an order lifting U.S. sanctions placed on Syria. “This order supports United States national security and foreign policy goals by directing additional actions, including the removal of sanctions on Syria, the issuance of waivers that permit the relaxation of export controls and other restrictions on Syria, and other actions,” the order says, adding that the efforts will be made “without providing relief to ISIS or other terrorist organizations, human rights abusers, those linked to chemical weapons or proliferation-related activities, or other persons that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the United States, Syria, and its neighbors.”
