From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 9, 2026
Syria’s Sharaa meets with EU chief von der Leyen, state media says
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSyria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, Syrian state media says, as she became the highest ranking EU official to visit since longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was ousted in late 2024.
Von der Leyen is conducting a regional tour alongside Antonio Costa, who heads the European Council. Their visit follows days of deadly clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.
“We will continue working together in support of a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transition,” says a joint EU-Jordan statement issued on the eve of the EU leaders’ arrival in Damascus.
Syrian President Sharaa meets with EU chief von der Leyen https://t.co/fR1FyBzjpp pic.twitter.com/Wd5SVz1RCP
— Hürriyet Daily News (@HDNER) January 9, 2026
Syria is struggling to forge a new path after years of war sparked by a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.
Sharaa has come under pressure to protect Syria’s many minority communities, including the Kurds.
Several EU officials have visited Syria since Assad’s ouster by Sharaa’s forces in December 2024. In March, the EU pledged nearly 2.5 billion euros in aid for Syria for 2025 and 2026.
The Times of Israel Community.