Club of contradictions: Kurds proposed to change the name of Syria
An attempt to bring positions closer between Damascus and the Kurdish administration ended in failure: a trilateral meeting with the participation of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, SDF commander Mazlum Abdi and US Envoy Tom Barak did not lead to a compromise. As Izvestia found out, the Kurds put forward radical initiatives during the negotiations, from changing the country's name to the special status of their armed forces. All proposals were rejected by the Syrian authorities, who insist on maintaining a unitary state and the full integration of the Kurdish forces. Meanwhile, Washington is changing its position towards the SAR, it is unhappy with the delay in negotiations. How this affects the future of Syria is in the Izvestia article.
Frustration with the Kurds is growing in the United States
The Kurdish delegation proposed to the official Damascus to change the very name of the country — to exclude the definition of "Arab" from it, a source close to the negotiations told Izvestia. This initiative, which is designed to give the Kurds greater autonomy within the SAR, was announced at a trilateral meeting on July 9 in the Syrian capital. It was attended by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, commander of the Kurdish formations of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazlum Abdi and US Special Representative Tom Barak.
—The SDF demanded to remove the word "Arab" from the name of the country, implement a decentralization system and include its forces as an independent bloc in the Syrian army,— a source in the Kurdish administration told Izvestia.
The Syrian leadership categorically rejected these initiatives. In particular, Damascus once again rejected the idea of federalization, adhering to the framework of a single and unitary state. He insists on the full integration of the Kurds into the national army, without any special status.
The Autonomous Administration of Northeastern Syria (AACAF) is a de facto self—governing entity in the northeast of the country, controlled mainly by Kurdish forces, with the armed wing represented by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The administration is not officially recognized by the Syrian government and is sharply criticized by Turkey. The AACAF enjoys active support from the United States.
At the same time, on March 10, al-Sharaa and Abdi signed an agreement according to which the Kurdish fighters will be integrated into the armed forces of the transitional government. The parties also agreed that all civilian and military facilities, including airports, as well as gas and oil fields in the territories controlled by the SDF in Northeastern Syria, will be under the control of the new administration in Damascus.
Meeting of the leaders of the revolutionary factions with the leader of the new Syrian administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Damascus, 2024
The main driver that influenced the SDF's decision to reach an agreement with Damascus was the potential withdrawal of US troops from the region, which would put the Kurds in a vulnerable position due to the serious threat posed by Turkey. Earlier it was reported that the United States decided to halve the number of troops in Syria and begin their phased withdrawal in the coming months.
In September 2024, it became known that the international coalition led by the United States had decided to end its military mission in Iraq. The schedule and all stages have already been agreed upon. It was assumed that the withdrawal of coalition troops would take place no later than the end of September 2025, and the coalition's mission in Syria would end by September 2026.
Nevertheless, in April, the Kurdish leader declared that "the new Syria needs decentralization and federalism." Official Damascus called this statement a departure from national unity. The authorities recalled that Abdi's statements contradict the agreements of March 10 and urged not to interfere with the work of state institutions.
According to media reports, the SDF delegation also refused to discuss the transfer of key cities such as Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor under the control of Damascus, which also did not contribute to the advancement of negotiations.
Lifting sanctions on Syria
U.S. Envoy Tom Barak expressed disappointment with the delay in the negotiation process on the part of the Kurds and urged them to accelerate steps towards a compromise. The pressure of the Americans on them is increasing against the background of a sharp change in Washington's course towards Syria. On June 30, US President Donald Trump signed a decree abolishing the existing system of US sanctions against the republic. Initially, they were conducted to put pressure on the regime of Bashar al-Assad, but now, according to the administration, they are hindering the country's reconstruction after the civil war.
Rally dedicated to the fall of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, Aleppo, Syria
The decree, in particular, repeals the state of emergency imposed in 2004 in relation to Syria. In addition, he instructs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review the status of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS, recognized in Russia as a terrorist organization and banned), which led the rebellion that ended with the fall of the Assad regime.
At the same time, the United States kept Syria on the list of state sponsors of terrorism; this status was assigned back in 1979. This implies a ban on military cooperation and a restriction on external assistance. There are also targeted restrictions against Bashar al-Assad, his entourage and others.
Restarting relations with the United States became possible largely due to the support of Saudi Arabia, said Igor Matveev, associate professor of the Department of International Business at the Financial University under the Government. According to him, it was the Saudis who organized the meeting between al-Sharaa and Trump, which took place in Riyadh on May 14. The American president then called al-Sharaa a tough guy and a fighter with a strong past.
Meeting of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa with US President Donald Trump and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
However, Riyadh is not acting selflessly.: "Of course, Saudi Arabia is not doing all this to stand aside and allow competitors in the Persian Gulf to implement major projects," he said in a conversation with Izvestia.
According to the expert, Riyadh will closely monitor the situation and, most likely, hinder the implementation of alternative energy routes, including the so-called Arab Gas Pipeline (a project to transport gas from Egypt through Jordan to Syria and Lebanon).
At the same time, Igor Matveev draws attention to the new options opening up for Syria in the event of stabilization: "If there are any investment opportunities, it will somehow be able to connect to two competing global projects — the Chinese Belt and Road and the Indian IMEC corridor." Matveev noted that Chinese delegations have been actively visiting Syria since May, discussing port infrastructure and investment opportunities.
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