Ukraine FM in Syria, urges interim government to expel Russia
The visit comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a large shipment of wheat flour to war-torn Syria, as the two countries seek to reset relations following years of tensions over former President Bashar al-Assad's alliance with Russia.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha pledged to support Syria in a visit to Damascus on Monday, demonstrating Ukraine’s interests in deepening engagement with the new Syrian administration as Russia’s influence in the country hangs in the balance.
Sybiha met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the de facto leader of Syria's transitional administration. In a post on X, Sybiha stated that Ukraine is prepared to support stability and food security in Syria.
Today in Damascus, I met with the leader of the Syrian administration Ahmed Al-Sharaa and personally conveyed the message of Ukraine’s President @ZelenskyyUa to the Syrian people: we are with you and ready to assist in restoring normal life, stability, and food security. pic.twitter.com/bDUijYB4EK
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) December 30, 2024
Syria’s official news agency, SANA, reported that Sybiha also met interim Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani and interim intelligence head Anas Khattab.
Shibani said in a post on X on Monday that Syria would have “strategic partnerships” with Ukraine in the political, economic and social realms.
"We also have scientific partnerships with Ukraine that we will start again," he added.
Why it matters: Ukraine and Syria are seeking closer cooperation following the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, led by Islamist group HTS. Assad was close to Russia throughout his 24 years in power. In 2015, Russia intervened militarily on Assad's behalf in the civil war, providing air and ground support against rebel forces, including HTS, and helping Assad's forces recapture most of the country by the time the rebel offensive began in late November. Assad was supportive of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Kiev severed diplomatic ties with Syria after Damascus recognized the independence of the pro-Russian breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk that year.
The death toll of the Syrian civil war varies, with some estimates exceeding 500,000.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a 500-ton wheat flour shipment was en route to Syria. Ukraine is one of the world's largest wheat producers, exporting to various countries in the Middle East and North Africa, though not to Syria. Most of Ukraine's $3.89 million in exports to Syria in 2022 consisted of seed oils, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
Syria is facing rampant food insecurity. Around 12.9 million people out of a population of roughly 23 million are food insecure throughout Syria, according to the World Food Program.
Know more: The fall of Assad was a strategic loss for Russia. Syria has provided Russia with a foothold in the Mediterranean for decades. The intervention kept Syria out of the West's and Turkey's respective spheres of influence, while safeguarding Moscow's energy interests in the country.
The future of Russia's military presence in Syria under the new HTS-led administration is unclear. Russia has an air base in Hmeimim as well as a naval facility in Tartous. The Kremlin has postponed a decision on the future of its military bases in Syria until March, Anton Mardasov reported for Al-Monitor earlier this month.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya on Sunday, Sharaa, the de facto leader of HTS who was formerly aligned with al-Qaeda, signaled openness to maintaining relations with Russia. He said the two countries share “deep strategic interests" and “we do not want Russia to leave Syria in the way that some wish.”
"The removal of Russia's presence in Syria will contribute to the stability of not only the Syrian state but [also] the entire Middle East and Africa," Sybiha said in a statement on Monday.
