Macron Visits Damascus in Post-Assad First

Emmanuel Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday for a two-day visit, the first by a head of state from the European Union since the fall of the Assad regime.

He met with Syria’s new President Ahmed al-Sharaa, pledging French support for a “united and diverse” Syria at peace with its neighbours.

The trip comes as Damascus seeks to reboot its international standing and revive an economy flattened by years of war.

Macron’s presence, however, also underscored the geopolitical vacuum left by Russia and Iran, whose attention is now consumed by Ukraine and internal turmoil.