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Including Syria.. New Directions for U.S. Middle East Policy with Trump's Return
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Trump's multiple meetings with Syrian and Lebanese opposition reveal clear interest in reshaping U.S. policy in the region
Republican presidential election winner Donald Trump pledged to adopt a firm approach in the region, confirming his intention to demand "an immediate ceasefire and move towards negotiations," without revealing additional details.
The equations in the Middle East region changed after Trump's victory, after eyes were watching Biden administration policies when Democratic candidate Kamala Harris's chances seemed favorable.
The Washington Post quoted sources saying that the Biden administration was planning to provide support to Syria to reduce Iranian influence, indicating American and Israeli desire to help Damascus prevent weapons flow to Hezbollah.
U.S. and Israeli officials believe that the Syrian regime's president might support these steps given his dissatisfaction with Iranian infiltration in Damascus, with Washington ready to provide reciprocal positive initiatives.
Syrian opposition figure Ayman Abdel Nour revealed intensive contacts with both Democratic and Republican parties, indicating they were informed about freezing the anti-normalization law with the Syrian regime for about a year.
He explained that freezing some Caesar Act provisions following the February 2023 earthquake became an adopted approach, facilitating various projects, including gas and oil transport lines through Syrian territory.
There was a disparity in communication levels between the two camps, where Trump held 4 direct meetings with Syrians and Lebanese, plus 15 meetings for his advisers and family, versus one Zoom meeting with Harris. The Syrian opposition figure confirmed that Trump pledged to direct warnings to Iran to stop militia support, with restrictions on its financial resources.
Meanwhile, Bassam Ishaq, Syrian Democratic Council representative in Washington, expressed Kurdish caution about the next phase, questioning the fate of U.S. forces in northeastern Syria.
Observers questioned the possibility of moving stagnant waters in the Syrian crisis, and the extent of Trump's commitment to his electoral promises to resolve intertwined conflicts in the region, awaiting his official assumption of power on January 20.
Levant-Agencies
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- November 7, 2024
Amid growing anxiety among several European countries participating in NATO over Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated he looks forward to sitting down with Trump.
Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.
Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.
On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.
It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.
Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.
Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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