Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and French President Emmanuel Macron
Macron calls Syrian president amid rising violence
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In a high-level diplomatic move aimed at containing escalating tensions in the region, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone on Sunday with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, expressing Paris’s deep concern over the “escalation of violence” in Syrian territory.
Government advances spark international concern
The call comes at a sensitive time, as Syrian government forces have expanded control over strategic cities and installations in northern and eastern Syria, raising fears among international powers about the implications of continued military operations.
President Macron tweeted from his official account on X (formerly Twitter): “I expressed to him our deep concern regarding the escalation in Syria and the continuation of the offensive conducted by the Syrian authorities.”
Je me suis entretenu ce matin avec le président syrien Ahmed Al-Charaa.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 18, 2026
Je lui ai fait part de notre préoccupation face à l’escalade en Syrie et à la poursuite de l’offensive conduite par les autorités syriennes.…
Call for ceasefire and SDF integration
Macron also proposed a roadmap for resolution, emphasizing the need for a “permanent ceasefire.” He called for a political and military agreement that would integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), predominantly Kurdish, into the Syrian state.
The proposal aligns with the provisions of the March 10, 2025 agreement, which currently serves as the international framework for reorganizing the situation in northeast Syria.
