Syrian President Sharaa meets with Trump at UN General Assembly

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported early Thursday.

SANA released a photograph capturing al-Sharaa shaking hands with Trump, with First Lady Melania Trump also present. The agency did not provide additional details about the discussion.

This marks the second official meeting between the two leaders, following their previous encounter in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May.

Meanwhile, Syria and Ukraine officially restored diplomatic relations on Wednesday, following a meeting between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York.

The discussions, attended by Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and a Syrian delegation, marked a historic step in rebuilding ties between the two nations, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement.

Zelenskyy confirmed the move on X, the US social media platform, stating, “We welcome this important step and are ready to support the Syrian people on their path to stability.” He added that the leaders had discussed key sectors for potential cooperation, shared security challenges, and the importance of addressing them. “We agreed to build our relations on the basis of mutual respect and trust,” he noted.