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European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday agreed to lift the remaining economic curbs on the war-torn country, amid concerns it could slip back into conflict.
May 20, 2025Updated 4:39 p.m. ET
European Union foreign ministers agreed on Tuesday to lift the remaining economic sanctions on Syria, hoping to help the nation recover as it tries to find stable footing after years of war and the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
“We want to help the Syrian people rebuild a new, inclusive and peaceful Syria,” Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, posted on social media. “The E.U. has always stood by Syrians throughout the last 14 years — and will keep doing so.”
European officials have been working to pare sanctions on Syria since January, hoping to give Syria’s new government some relief while allowing time to assess whether the new Syrian power structure would evolve in a way that is consistent with E.U. values.
The move to remove sanctions comes a week after President Trump announced that America would lift its sanctions on Syria, an economic game changer for the war-torn country and one that has been met with jubilation.
Together, the removal of American and European sanctions could help reinvigorate Syria’s economy, allowing investment in local businesses and bolstering stability as the nation tries to rebuild after nearly 14 year of civil war.
Syria has conducted very little trade with Europe in recent years, largely because of a sweeping sanctions program that the European Union began to construct shortly after an uprising that started in 2011 against decades of authoritarian rule by the Assad family. Europe’s sanctions have included an oil embargo, export and import restrictions on some technology, and strict financial limitations.
