https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/bbfbcc6c-7c87-4030-9a83-64d9d4d371a5 Residents in Damascus have given their thoughts on the Monday meeting of their President Ahmed al-Sharaa with US President Donald Trump. Activist Layal Kaddour told reporters that the bold political move “marks a shift from the traditional regional axis to a potential partnership with Washington”, but that there would be both opportunities and challenges in maintaining Syria’s “political autonomy amid international pressures”. Once labelled a terrorist by the US, Sharaa is the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since the country’s 1946 independence from France. He has been president for less than a year, after his rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Before the meeting, President Trump was full of praises for Sharaa, describing him as a “tough guy” with a “rough past”. Soon after the meeting, it was announced by the US Treasury Department that the majority of sanctions on Damascus would be lifted for another six months. The US also stressed its support for reaching a security agreement between Syria and Israel, with President Trump saying his administration “was working with Israel to get along with Syria”. However with Israel issuing air strikes on Syria as recently as October, such discussions appear out of reach for now. Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at MEELive@middleeasteye.org Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:20:48 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/bbfbcc6c-7c87-4030-9a83-64d9d4d371a5 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.