Trump Praises Syria's President Ahmad al-Sharaa as “Fighter” After Riyadh Meeting
“He’s a young, attractive guy, and has a strong past. A fighter,” President Donald Trump said. “He has a real shot to keep Syria together.”
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday described his meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Riyadh as “wonderful,” hailing the newly appointed Syrian leader as a “charismatic, strong, and resilient fighter with a powerful past.”
Trump’s remarks came while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One in route to Doha, the second stop of his Gulf tour that also includes the United Arab Emirates.
“He’s a young, attractive guy, and has a strong past. A fighter,” Trump said. “He has a real shot to keep Syria together.”
First Official Meeting in Riyadh
The meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa on Wednesday marked the first official encounter between the two presidents. It took place on the sidelines of Trump’s participation in the Saudi-American Investment Forum 2025, held in Riyadh a day earlier.
During the forum, Trump announced his intention to lift U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria, citing a shared desire among regional allies to give Syria “a chance to grow and develop.”
Abraham Accords: A Syrian Chapter?
When asked whether Syria would be joining the Abraham Accords — the normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations — Trump indicated optimism.
“Yes, I think so,” he said. “I told him he should join, and he said yes, but there’s a lot to work on.”
Trump also revealed that President Erdogan had expressed a “warm and constructive” attitude toward al-Sharaa, believing the new Syrian leadership “has the potential to do good things” for the war-ravaged nation.
A Shift in U.S. Policy?
The highly publicized meeting and President Trump’s upbeat tone have triggered speculation over a potential shift in Washington’s posture toward Damascus, especially as al-Sharaa continues to project a reformist image and seek engagement with global and regional actors.
The U.S. President’s statements mark a departure from the years of isolation and punitive measures Syria endured following the outbreak of civil war in 2011 and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024.
While no formal policy changes have been announced yet, Trump’s endorsement of al-Sharaa as a “fighter” and calls for sanctions relief signal a potentially dramatic recalibration in American diplomacy with Syria under its new leadership.
