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Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.

EU courts Syria's new leaders to counter Russia's influence: Bloomberg

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Bloomberg
  • 3 Jan 2025 18:20
4 Min Read

Moscow's naval port in Tartus and airbase at Hmeimim remain key strategic assets for Russia in the Middle East.

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  • An EU flag flies at the front of the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France, Tuesday March 26, 2019.(AP)
    An EU flag flies at the front of the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France, on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP)

Bloomberg on Friday reported that the European Union has ramped up its diplomatic efforts in Syria, sending German and French foreign ministers to engage with the country's new leadership.

The visit by Germany's Annalena Baerbock and France's Jean-Noël Barrot marks the highest-level European delegation to Syria since the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad last month by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an group led by new regime forces leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa.

Baerbock and Barrot are meeting with Al-Sharaa in Damascus, with the EU aiming to support "an inclusive, peaceful transfer of power" and assist with reconstruction. "It will be a rocky road," Baerbock acknowledged.

HTS Leadership Raises Concerns

HTS, which has not yet established control over all of Syria, faces skepticism due to its past affiliation with al-Qaeda, a connection it allegedly severed in 2016, though it continued to preserve the same ideology.

While the group claims to have moderated its stance, its designation as a terrorist organization remains unchanged by the US, EU, and UK.

Even as the United States recently removed a $10 million bounty on Al-Sharaa, concerns persist about the group's governance and long-term stability in the region.

Baerbock stressed that any progress must include broad representation. "There can only be a new beginning if the new Syrian society gives all Syrians, women and men, regardless of ethnic or religious group, a place in the political process, grants rights, and offers protection," she said in a statement.

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Refugee Returns

Germany has an additional stake in stabilizing Syria. Baerbock hopes the new leadership will create conditions allowing some of the one million Syrians who sought refuge in Germany under Assad's regime to return safely.

Read more: More than 30,000 Syrians return home: Turkiye

Since taking power, HTS has sought to reassure non-Muslim communities of their rights and freedoms.

Baerbock acknowledged the group's controversial history, stating, "We know where HTS comes from ideologically, what it has done in the past. Despite all the skepticism, we must not miss the opportunity to support the people of Syria at this important crossroads."

Russian Influence

The EU has also used the opportunity to urge Russia to withdraw its military presence from Syria. Moscow's naval port in Tartus and airbase at Hmeimim remain key strategic assets for Russia in the Middle East.

Talks between HTS and Moscow suggest the Kremlin may seek to maintain its foothold, though Baerbock called for their exit, arguing, "The Syrian people will not forget the massive bombings and human rights violations."

According to the report, Russia's reduced influence in Syria would represent a blow to President Vladimir Putin, as it would complicate Moscow's military operations in the Middle East and Africa.

Baerbock accused Russia of shielding Assad's government from accountability during the war on Syria, saying, "Germany and its international partners are also committed to ensuring that the internal Syrian process is not disrupted from outside."

Read more: Russia must exit Syria for EU to lift sanctions on HTS: Dutch FM

Widening Regional Implications

In a related development, Ukraine has expressed interest in re-establishing diplomatic ties with Syria. Relations were severed in 2022 after al-Assad aligned with Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Thursday that he hopes for renewed engagement with Syria in light of recent changes.

  • Syria
  • Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
  • Syrian refugees
  • Russia
  • Germany
  • France
  • Annalena Baerbock
  • Jean-Noël Barrot
  • HTS

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Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

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