Von der Leyen: Europe will do “whatever it can” to help Syria

Europe will do “whatever it can” to help rebuild Syria, promised today the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen after her meeting with the leader of Syria Ahmad al Saraa in Damascus.

The head of the European Commission, who is accompanied by the President of the European Council Antonio Costa, is the highest-ranking official of the European Union to travel to Syria after Saraa seized power in late 2024.

“Europe will do whatever it can to support the recovery and reconstruction of Syria,” von der Leyen said in a message on the social media platform X.

The two sides discussed issues of bilateral cooperation as well as “humanitarian affairs and asylum issues in Europe,” the Syrian presidency said.

Syria has been undergoing a delicate transition since a coalition of Islamists overthrew Bashar al Assad a year ago, after an almost 14-year civil war.

On May 20 the European Union lifted all economic sanctions it had imposed on Syria under the Assad regime.

Several European Commissioners have already traveled to Damascus after the fall of Assad, each time announcing different aid programs for the country that has been devastated after years of war.

In March 2025 the EU pledged to provide 2.5 billion euros to Syria over a period of two years.

The World Bank estimates that the reconstruction of Syria may cost up to 216 billion dollars.

The two European officials are touring the region and visited Jordan yesterday, Thursday, while they are expected later today in Lebanon.

In a joint statement issued after their meetings in Amman, the EU and Jordan pledged to continue working “in order to support a peaceful and inclusive transition” in Syria. (01/09/26)