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U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, signaling a significant shift in U.S. policy toward Syria by indicating he intends to remove the country from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list.
Trump described Syria as having undergone a dramatic turnaround, saying the country has become "very stable" and adding, "it's really been stabilized, and we're proud of that."
The encounter between Trump and Sharaa, held in the Turkish capital during the alliance's annual gathering, marks one of the highest-level direct contacts between Washington and Damascus in recent memory.
Türkiye, which hosted the summit and has cultivated close ties with Syria's post-Assad leadership, provided the backdrop for the diplomatic exchange.
Syria has carried the State Sponsor of Terrorism designation, a label that triggers sweeping U.S. sanctions and restrictions on trade and foreign assistance, for decades.
Removal from the list would open the door to normalized economic relations and potentially unlock international investment in the war-battered country.
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