About: Syrian war
IS ‘caliphate’ on brink of defeat as Trump urges Europe to take foreign fighters home
US-backed fighters in Syria are poised to capture Islamic State’s last, tiny enclave on the Euphrates, the battle commander said on Saturday (16 February), bringing its self-declared caliphate to the brink of total defeat as US President Donald Trump spoke of “100 percent victory”.
Putin pushes Erdogan to fight Al-Nusra in Syria’s Idlib province
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday (23 January) after which the Russian leader said the two men had discussed how they planned to stabilize the situation in Syria’s Idlib province.
Azov Sea blaze illustrates that US sanctions work
Two ships ablaze in the Black Sea region, leaving at least 10 crew members dead, caught fire while transferring fuel mid-sea after one vessel was barred from using its usual port in southern Russia due to US sanctions risk, two sources told Reuters.
Trump threatens Turkey with economic devastation if it attacks Syrian Kurd militia
President Donald Trump threatened Turkey with economic devastation if it attacks a US-allied Kurdish militia in Syria, weakening Turkey's currency and prompting sharp criticism from Ankara on Monday (13 January).
Erdogan rebukes Trump’s top security adviser over Kurds in Syria
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rebuked Washington's national security adviser on Tuesday (8 January) for demanding that his country not attack Kurdish fighters in Syria, accusing him of complicating President Donald Trump's plan to withdraw US troops.
Defense Secretary Mattis resigns, Trump ends year in chaos
Trump’s presidency has lurched from crisis to crisis since he took office less than two years ago, but Thursday (20 December) was a landmark day of chaos that appeared to test the resolve of even senior Republican backers in Washington.
Russia’s Chechnya model for Syria will only deepen the conflict
Today, Chechnya is a police state, likely the most brutal anywhere in Europe, that rules through extreme repression. The same future is reserved to Syria, writes Neil Hauer.
US accepts Assad staying in power but won’t give aid
The United States said Monday (17 December) it was no longer seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but renewed warnings it would not fund reconstruction unless the regime is "fundamentally different."
Pentagon warns Turkey against unilateral military action in Syria
The Pentagon said on Wednesday (12 December) that unilateral military action into northeast Syria by any party would be "unacceptable," after Turkey said it would launch a new military operation in the region within days to target Kurdish militia fighters.
In solemn Paris ceremony, Macron leads global WW1 Armistice commemorations
French President Emmanuel Macron led tributes to the millions of soldiers killed in World War One on Sunday (11 November), using an emotional ceremony in Paris attended by scores of world leaders to warn against nationalism a century on from the conflict.
Russia, Germany, France and Turkey call for lasting ceasefire, constitutional meeting for Syria
The leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Turkey stressed the importance on Saturday (27 October) of a lasting ceasefire in Syria, and said a committee to create a new constitution should meet by the end of the year.
Macron, Trump confer ahead of Istanbul Syria summit with Putin
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone Thursday (25 October) with US counterpart Donald Trump about strategy ahead of a four-way summit on Syria in Istanbul this weekend, the Élysée palace said.
Novaya Gazeta is sent funeral wreath and ram’s head in latest threats
A funeral wreath, a severed ram's head and threatening notes were sent to the Novaya Gazeta's Moscow office this week in what the newspaper said in an editorial statement were the latest threats against its journalists.
Russia completes delivery of S-300 system to Syria
Russia has delivered an S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria, it said on Tuesday (2 October), in defiance of Israeli and US concerns that the arms sale would embolden Iran and escalate the Syrian war.
Sakharov Prize nominees include NGOs in the Mediterranean
The nominees for the 2018 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought have been announced on Thursday (27 September), including Oleg Sentsov, the Ukrainian film director imprisoned in Russia and NGOs saving lives of migrants in the Mediterranean. Since 1988, THE...
EU appeals to ‘Astana guarantors’ to avoid Idlib catastrophe
Commenting on the decision by Russia and Turkey to create a “demilitarised” zone in a rebel-held Syrian region, the EU called on Tuesday (18 September) on the “Astana guarantors”, Russia, Turkey and Iran, to respect civilians as a matter of priority.
Russia says Turkey has key job of separating out militants in Syria’s Idlib
Russia hopes for a peaceful resolution of the situation in Syria's rebel-held province of Idlib but believes it is up to Turkey to separate Islamist militants from the moderate opposition, Russia's Syria envoy said on Tuesday (11 September).
EU warns of humanitarian disaster in Syrian city of Idlib
Russian and Syrian jets hammered a major rebel stronghold on Tuesday (4 September), days before leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey meet to discuss an expected Syrian government offensive that could spark a humanitarian disaster.
EU disagrees with Russia that Syrian refugees can go back
The European Union does not believe Syria is safe for refugees to go back, officials in Brussels said of a Russian push to have people return to the war-torn country and the international community to spend money on rebuilding it.
Syria: Why the refugee crisis continues
750,000 Syrians have returned to their homes since the beginning of the year. At the same time, more than 900,000 people have become refugees. An analysis by EURACTIV Germany's media partner Der Tagesspiegel.
Turkey and the migration crisis: a positive example for the Transatlantic community
Supposedly illiberal Turkey has set a powerful and positive example for upholding one of the most central of humanitarian values: providing shelter, opportunity, and hope to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, writes Matthew Bryza.
Putin welcomes European efforts to save Iran nuclear deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday (24 May) that his country appreciated efforts by Europe to save the Iran nuclear deal despite the withdrawal of the United States and warned of “lamentable consequences” if it was not preserved.
Macron and Putin: ‘Frenemies’ reunited
With relations between the West and Russia at historic lows, French President Emmanuel Macron travels to St Petersburg Thursday to seek common ground with Russian President Vladimir Putin.