Ukraine’s foreign chief pledges support for a new Syria on a trip to Damascus

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (L) and Syria’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani shake hands during a press conference after a meeting between the Syrian leadership and a Ukrainian delegation to help strengthen ties between the two countries on December 30, 2024 in Damascus, Syria.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister met with Syria’s de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus on Monday (December 30, 2024), days after Kyiv announced the delivery of a large shipment of wheat flour to the country following the ouster of Bashar Assad, Russia’s ally.

Syria is gradually shifting away from Iran and Russia and rekindling ties with Western and Gulf nations that had opposed Assad’s rule, as well as Turkey, which backed opposition forces during the civil war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine will send 500 tons of wheat flour to Syria through the U.N. World Food Programme, to help improve the country’s food security and economic crisis. About 90% of Syrians live in poverty, while over half don’t know where their next meal will come from, according to the U.N.

“The Ukrainian delegation held important talks with the Syrian administration, leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa and ministers. We support the Syrian people in overcoming decades of dictatorial rule and restoring stability, security, and normal life in Syria,” Mr. Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he hopes “that a new Syria would become a country that respects international law.” He said Ukraine is ready to share its experience in gathering evidence and conducting investigations to hold war criminals accountable.

“The Russian and Assad regimes supported each other because their foundation is violence and torture,” he said.

Syria on Monday (December 30, 2024) appointed its first female interim Central Bank governor, as the country navigates through recovering its battered economy after the downfall of the Assad dynasty’s rule.

Maysaa Sabreen is the second woman appointed in a leadership role under Ahmad al-Sharaa and his Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led Assad’s ouster in an offensive in early December.

Ms. Sabreen had served as the Central Bank’s first deputy governor.

She inherits a dire financial crisis following a decade of civil war, mismanagement and sanctions, which has led to the Syrian pound drastically losing its value against the U.S. dollar. The United Nations estimates that some 90% of Syrians live in poverty.