Syrian president arrives at White House for historic talks with Trump

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived at the White House Monday for talks with US President Donald Trump in what marks the first visit of a Syrian leader since the nation gained independence nearly 80 years ago.

Sharaa's meeting with Trump is expected to focus on the removal of sanctions imposed by the US during Assad regime rule that crippled the Syrian economy, efforts to formally bring Damascus into the anti-ISIS (Daesh) coalition and potential talks on normalization with Israel -- one of Trump's stated goals.

The Trump administration has taken a series of measures to alleviate diplomatic and economic pressure on Syria and its leader as the country enters a new chapter in its history after over 13 years of brutal civil war, including the lifting of some sanctions.

Trump began the process of lifting US sanctions on Syria following a meeting with Sharaa in May in Saudi Arabia. After that sit-down, the US president described his Syrian counterpart as a "young, attractive guy, tough guy, strong past," signaling a dramatic departure from decades of enmity that had defined US-Syrian relations under the Assads.

Sharaa’s visit to the US is the first by a Syrian president since the country’s independence in 1946.

US Special Envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said last week in Bahrain that Sharaa is expected to sign a document with Trump for Syria to join the anti-ISIS coalition.