"We're Happy!" Trump Praises Syria Shift

The Trump administration’s public endorsement of Damascus following the Syrian army’s move against YPG terror group marks a clear recalibration of U.S. posture in Syria: Washington is signaling acceptance of central government control in exchange for continuity on counter terror group ISIS (Deash) security.

The pivot was underscored by President Donald Trump’s call with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his subsequent comments to reporters, delivered as al-Sharaa prepared to travel to Moscow on Wednesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I had a great conversation with the highly respected president of Syria, and all of the things having to do with Syria and that area,” Trump said.

It’s working out very well, so we’re very happy about it.

U.S. President Donald Trump

Expired Partnerships

The shift follows the SDF’s withdraw after a Syrian army offensive, a move that drew mixed reactions locally and closed a chapter in which YPG terror group served as Washington’s principal on-the-ground partner.

U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said last week that YPG’s role as the “primary anti-ISIS (Deash) force on the ground” had “largely expired,” arguing that Damascus is now assuming nationwide security responsibilities. Barrack added that Syria’s situation has “fundamentally” transformed, citing Damascus’s admission to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS as its 90th member in late 2025.

Trump reinforced the new line in a later Fox News appearance, saying he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had “solved a tremendous problem in conjunction with Syria,” without elaborating.

A statement from the Syrian presidency said al-Sharaa stressed “Syria’s full commitment to its territorial integrity and its national sovereignty and the state’s keenness to preserve its institutions and promote civil peace,” while also calling for unified international efforts to prevent the return of “terrorist groups,” including ISIS (Deash).

The White House had long backed the YPG as a core pillar of the anti-ISIS (Deash) campaign. That history made the administration’s embrace of Damascus politically sensitive inside Washington. Senator Lindsey Graham initially urged the reimposition of sanctions in response to the Syrian army’s recent operation, before later crediting Trump with restoring stability.

The recalibration also unfolds against a regional backdrop shaped by Russia’s continued diplomatic reach. The Kremlin confirmed on Tuesday that Putin would meet al-Sharaa in Moscow to discuss bilateral ties “in various areas” and the broader Middle East situation.

From Coalition Partner to Central Authority

Taken together, the statements outline a transactional logic: the United States is prioritizing a unified Syrian security architecture over the decentralized model that relied on the YPG. Damascus’s entry into the U.S.-led coalition in 2025 provides Washington with a formal framework to sustain counter-ISIS coordination. The administration’s message emphasizes outcomes over intermediaries, presenting Syrian state institutions as the new guarantor of territorial control.

The approach also reflects a wider effort to consolidate lines of authority after years of fragmented governance across northeastern Syria. By backing al-Sharaa publicly while Russia hosts him in Moscow, Washington is seemingly accepting a multipolar diplomatic reality around Syria’s future.