Sign the invitation: the Syrian president makes his first visit to the United States

During the visit of the transitional President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to Washington, this country may sign an agreement in the United States to join the international coalition against ISIS (IS, the organization is recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in the Russian Federation). This will be a significant diplomatic step and strengthen the position of the current Syrian authorities, experts believe. In addition, the United States is considering the possibility of deploying its military contingent in this country. Plans for Damascus to join the coalition are alarming for the Kurdish forces — they fear "betrayal" from Washington after many years of joint struggle against ISIS. At the same time, Damascus is showing interest in developing cooperation with Moscow. Why the United States is alarmed by the intensification of contacts between Russia and the SAR — in the Izvestia article.

Washington is preparing to accept Damascus into the coalition

President of Syria for the transitional period Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in the United States on November 9 on an official visit, the first since the country gained independence in 1946. During negotiations with American leader Donald Trump, the parties plan to sign an agreement on Syria's accession to the international coalition against ISIS (IS). On the eve of the visit, the United States lifted sanctions against al-Sharaa, and also blacklisted Interior Minister Anas Khattab.

The decision to unblock restrictions on the Syrian leadership was previously supported by the UN Security Council: 14 members of the Security Council, including Russia, voted in favor of lifting sanctions, no one opposed, and China abstained.

Meanwhile, the situation inside Syria remains tense. The Syrian Human Rights Monitoring Center told Izvestia that since the beginning of 2025, more than 11,000 people have died in the country, including over 8,600 civilians.

The Reuters news agency, citing sources, reported on US plans to deploy a military contingent at an airbase in the southern neighborhoods of Damascus. This is seen as a potential element of a future security pact between Syria and Israel, which Washington is actively working on. The current Syrian authorities, according to the agency, are discussing with the Trump administration the status of American facilities in the country.

Later, the transitional government's Foreign Ministry denied reports of plans to deploy an American base near Damascus. A statement issued through the SANA news agency said that such information "does not correspond to reality." At the same time, the ministry stressed that the United States does not intend to open new facilities, and in relations between the two countries there is a desire for direct interaction with the central authorities and support for Damascus' efforts to unite the country's territory.

At the internal level, the question remains about the real inclusiveness of the future political system and the participation of all key groups in it, including the Kurdish autonomy.

Kurds are concerned about the "new betrayal" of the United States

Al-Sharaa's visit has caused discontent among the Kurdish forces, which have been fighting ISIS with the support of the United States for the past ten years. Representatives of structures associated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) indicated that they expected at least to participate in the delegation. The decision to exclude the Kurds makes their position very vulnerable, despite the assurances of the American administration that deepening Washington's dialogue with the new Syrian leadership should strengthen the security of minorities.

Representatives of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria say that the current authorities in Damascus do not demonstrate an inclusive approach. The Kurdish side recalled that during the formation of the interim cabinet, the adoption of constitutional provisions and the organization of parliamentary elections, their opinion was not taken into account, which, in their opinion, contradicts the spirit of the March partnership agreements. They cited the recent tragic events in Essaouida and coastal areas as one of the consequences of this approach.

"Any direct military clash between the Syrian authorities and the forces of the Syrian Democratic Army can have serious and even catastrophic consequences for the internal situation in the country," Syrian expert Mohammed Nadir Al—Amri told Izvestia.

He added that such a development would pave the way for external interference in Syria's internal affairs. According to him, contradictory statements have been received from the Kurdish side so far: some representatives speak of a positive dialogue with Damascus, while others claim that the March deal is on the verge of collapse, which indicates internal disagreements in the political and military structures of the SDF.

In this regard, many recall Trump's decision in his first term to give the green light to the Turkish operation in northeast Syria in 2019. Then the Kurds lost Ras al-Ain and Tell Abyad.

Now the situation may repeat itself: the exclusion of the Kurds from the political process and Washington's rapprochement with the new Syrian leadership increase their fears that in the event of a new deal between Damascus, Ankara and the United States, the interests of the Kurdish formations will again be sacrificed.

The United States is putting pressure on al-Sharaa over contacts with Russia

Against the background of the diplomatic breakthrough, the Syrian side emphasizes its readiness to expand international cooperation. The official speaker of the Syrian Interior Ministry, Noureddin al-Bab, commenting on the dynamics of relations with Moscow, pointed to the possibility of exchanging experience and intelligence information in the interests of the security of both countries.

Damascus also noted that there has recently been a growing mutual understanding with Russia, including the prospect of joint agreements in the field of countering threats, discussing the energy agenda and conducting training for law enforcement agencies.

According to orientalist Kirill Semenov, Ahmed al-Sharaa's invitation to Washington is connected not only with the discussion of a possible Syrian-Israeli settlement, but also with the US' wariness due to the intensification of Russian-Syrian contacts.

"Washington is closely monitoring how intensively the dialogue between Moscow and Damascus is developing, and they are afraid of strengthening Russian positions in Syria," the expert noted.

According to him, the administration of Donald Trump is likely to push the transitional president to limit interaction with Moscow. The expert believes that the United States is seeking to reduce the level of Russian-Syrian cooperation and is already taking disruptive actions, supporting the anti-Russian agenda in Syria. Semenov noted that the pressure on al-Sharaa increased after his visit to Moscow.

In this context, the Saudi newspaper Okaz, citing sources in Trump's entourage, notes that the American leader has developed "red lines" regarding Syria. The first is the inadmissibility of the return of Iranian influence to Syria, whether through Russia or through supporters of Bashar al—Assad. The second is to prevent the recurrence of incidents similar to the events on the Syrian coast on March 7 and in the province of Suwayda in July.

At the same time, Russia is rebuilding its cooperation with Damascus, which is reflected in the Moscow–Tehran–Syria triangle. In October 2025, President Vladimir Putin held talks with al-Sharaa in Moscow, and immediately after that, Russia's special representative for the Syrian settlement, Alexander Lavrentiev, visited Tehran. The Iranian officials discussed with the Russian delegation issues of regional security, the territorial integrity of Syria and further coordination of efforts.

Russian Ambassador to the Islamic Republic Alexei Dedov previously told Izvestia that Russia and Iran hold regular consultations on the Syrian issue and hold similar positions on key aspects of resolving the crisis. reported it.

Consultations on the issue of maintaining Russian bases in the Syrian Arab Republic, as noted in the Russian Foreign Ministry, are ongoing and also concern the safety of Russian citizens. The media reported that the Syrian side had expressed interest in resuming patrols of the southern provinces by the Russian military police, which, according to Damascus, could limit Israel's activity in the border areas. According to media reports, Russia has already conducted its first patrol after the change of power — near Al-Qamishli in the northeast of the country.