Trump meets Syrian president, urges him to establish ties with Israel
Trump meets Syrian president, urges him to establish ties with Israel
By Gram Slattery, Pesha Magid and Andrew Mills
May 14, 202511:36 AM MSTUpdated an hour ago
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Trump meets Syria’s Sharaa, urges for normalized ties
- Summary
- Companies
- Trump urges Syria to normalise ties with Israel
- Trump arrives in Qatari capital Doha
- Qatar Airways to buy 160 Boeing planes
- No mention of offer to supply new Air Force One
DOHA, May 14 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syria’s president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and urged him to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel after a surprise U.S. announcement that it would lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government.
Trump then flew to Qatar, where he oversaw the signing of a deal for the Gulf Arab country to buy jets from U.S. manufacturer Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab.
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He did not mention a controversial separate offer by Qatar to donate a Boeing jet to serve as the U.S. president’s official airplane. That would be one of the most valuable gifts ever given to the United States and it has triggered alarm in Washington over its security and ethics implications.
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After Trump’s declaration that he would lift sanctions on Syria, which is seeking to rebuild after more than a decade of civil war, he met with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who swept to power at the head of a group that Washington has called a terrorist organisation and once pledged allegiance to al Qaeda.
Trump told reporters that Sharaa said he would be willing to eventually join the Abraham Accords, a U.S.-brokered 2020 agreement that saw the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalize relations with Israel. Syrian officials have signaled an openness to normalize under the right circumstances.
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“I told him, ‘I hope you’re going to join when it’s straightened out.’ He said, ‘Yes.’ But they have a lot of work to do,” Trump said, according to a White House pool report.
Photos posted on Saudi state television showed the two men shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Trump said the meeting with Sharaa, who he described as a young, attractive guy with a very strong past, was “great”.
“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” said Trump.
ETHICAL CONCERNS OVER BUSINESS DEALS
Trump’s four-day visit highlights the United States’ growing ties to the oil-rich region, where his real-estate company is also developing several projects.
That has raised concerns about a conflict of interest between Trump’s official duties as president and his business interests.
Trump has dismissed ethical concerns about his plan to accept the $400 million luxury plane from Qatar to serve as Air Force One, saying on Monday it would be “stupid” to turn down the generous offer.
