- Bashar Assad’s regime has collapsed, prompting global reactions and statements on Syria’s future.
- Western leaders view Assad’s fall as a hopeful opportunity, not an outright victory.
- Concerns arise over Syria’s future governance under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s leader.
As Bashar Assad’s regime collapsed over the weekend, world leaders and countries issued statements on Syria.
Western leaders mostly celebrated Assad’s toppling as a new beginning for Syria. Yet they also took care to describe the dictator’s fall as an opportunity for hope instead of an outright victory.
Assad had, for more than a decade, faced a loose coalition of varied rebel groups, including the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. But it was Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group that traces its roots to Al Qaeda, that stormed from city to city within days, prompting Assad to flee.
Questions remain about what sort of government may form under the group’s leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. Though he has broken ties with Al Qaeda and is projecting messages of religious tolerance, the US designates him as a terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head.
Here’s how the world’s been reacting to Assad’s fall.
US: President Joe Biden
“At long last, the Assad regime has fallen,” Biden said on Sunday during a press briefing in the Roosevelt Room.
Biden called the Assad government’s expulsion a “fundamental act of justice” and a “moment of opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country.”
“It’s also a moment of risk and uncertainty,” the president added. “As we all turn to the question of what comes next.”
The US has been conducting airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria, Biden said.
US: President-Elect Donald Trump
Trump, who is to succeed Biden on January 20, referenced the war in Ukraine as a key reason for Russia’s waning military support for Assad.
“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer,” he wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
In a post on Saturday, Trump wrote that the US should avoid any involvement in Syria.
“THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” he wrote.
EU: European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen
In a statement on Sunday, Von der Leyen wrote that Europe hoped to support Damascus in “rebuilding a Syrian state that protects all minorities.”
“This historic change in the region offers opportunities but is not without risks,” Von der Leyen wrote.
The majority of the nation’s population is Sunni Muslim, but among them are Alawites, Christians, Shiite Muslims, Druze, and other ethnicities and religious movements.
UK: Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Starmer cautioned on Sunday that Syria’s new political situation is still in its “early days,” but said Assad’s fall was a “very good thing for the Syrian people.”
“The Syrian people have suffered under Assad’s barbaric regime for too long and we welcome his departure,” Starmer said. “Our focus is now on ensuring a political solution prevails, and peace and stability is restored.”
Starmer called for a “rejection of terrorism and violence” and for civilians to be protected.
Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz
Scholz posted identical statements on Sunday in German, Arabic, and English.
“Today, we stand with all Syrians who are full of hope for a free, just, and safe Syria,” the chancellor said.
“A political solution to the conflict in Syria is possible. With international partners and on the basis of the resolutions of the UN Security Council, Germany will make its contribution,” he added.
A few hours earlier, Scholz said that the end of Assad’s rule was “good news.” He also urged that civilians and minorities be protected.
France: President Emmanuel Macron
“The barbaric state has fallen. At last,” Macron said in identical statements in Arabic, French, and English.
He called the current situation a “moment of uncertainty” and said he wished Syrians “peace, freedom, and unity.”
“France will remain committed to the security of all in the Middle East,” Macron added.
Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Trudeau also celebrated Assad’s fall as the end of decades of dictatorship in Syria, and said Canada was “monitoring this transition closely.”
“A new chapter for Syria can begin here — one free of terrorism and suffering for the Syrian people,” he said.
China: Foreign Ministry
The Chinese foreign ministry’s response focused on the status of its citizens in Syria.
“China is closely following the situation in Syria and hopes that stability will return as soon as possible,” a ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.
The spokesperson said Beijing’s embassy in Syria was still operational and that it was assisting Chinese nationals in the country.
“We urge relevant parties in Syria to ensure the safety and security of the Chinese institutions and personnel in Syria,” they added.
Iran: Foreign Ministry
Iran, which backed Assad for over a decade, indicated that it hopes to continue to establish a presence in the region.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, emphasizing Syria’s role as an important and influential country in West Asia, will spare no effort to help establish security and stability in Syria,” its foreign ministry said in a statement.
Despite its past support for Assad, it added that “determining Syria’s future and making decisions about its destiny are solely the responsibility of the Syrian people, without any destructive interference or external imposition.”
Turkey: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
Fidan said Assad’s fall paves the way for millions of Syrian refugees in neighboring Turkey to potentially return home.
“As of this morning, the Syrian people have started a new day in which they will determine the future of their country,” Fidan said in a statement.
Turkey is home to some 3.6 million Syrian refugees, and Ankara has been actively supporting some rebel forces in the north with troops, drone strikes, and artillery.
Fidan added that Turkey would “assume responsibility for whatever needs to be done to heal Syria’s wounds and ensure its unity, integrity, and security.”
Russia: Foreign Ministry
In a statement on Sunday, Russia’s foreign ministry said it was monitoring Syria “with extreme concern.”
The ministry said Assad had resigned after discussing with “a number of participants” in the civil war, and that Moscow was not involved in the negotiations.
“However, we call on all the parties involved to renounce the use of violence and resolve all governance issues through political efforts,” it said.
“In this regard, the Russian Federation maintains contact with all Syrian opposition groups,” the ministry added.
Russia has said for years that it’s supported Assad to protect Syria’s legitimacy and to fight terrorism.
It fields two major military bases in Syria, the Hmeimim Air Base and the Tartus Naval Base, which provide Russia with access to Africa and the Mediterranean.
“Russian military bases in Syria are on high alert. There is no serious threat to their security at the moment,” the foreign ministry said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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