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yesterday

EU Lifts Most Sanctions on Syria, Targets Militias for Attacks on Alawites

Easing of sanctions is meant to unlock financing for up to $400 billion in reconstruction with sectarian violence and widespread poverty posing immediate challenges.

Trucks and vans carrying around 60 displaced families arrive in their village after more than five years in the Atmeh camps near the Syrian-Turkish border, in Kafr Sijna, south of Idlib, Syria, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
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Overview

  • The European Union lifted most economic restrictions on Wednesday, restoring Syrian banks’ access to EU financial markets while retaining sanctions on security-related programs and regime-linked individuals.
  • New EU measures impose travel bans and asset freezes on two militia leaders and three armed groups accused of March attacks on Alawite civilians including the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade and Hamza Division.
  • The U.S. State Department granted six-month exemptions from longstanding sanctions following President Trump’s pledge to end penalties, marking a step towards broader U.S. support.
  • The United Nations estimates that reconstruction will cost between $250 billion and $400 billion, and sanctions relief is expected to accelerate rebuilding projects.
  • Syria’s interim government under Ahmad al-Sharaa has vowed to hold perpetrators accountable but a fact-finding body has yet to publish its findings while sectarian tensions and humanitarian needs remain acute.