The US president praised al-Shalah, who is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday following the Syrian army’s offensive against the Kurdish-led SDF.
Published January 28, 2026
US President Donald Trump said he was “very pleased” with the developments in Syria following the Syrian army’s attack on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which was previously supported by the US government.
President Trump made the comments after a phone call with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa before the Syrian leader left for Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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“I had a great conversation with the highly respected president of Syria about all things related to Syria and the region,” Trump told reporters.
“It’s going very well, so I’m very happy,” the US president said.
A statement from the Syrian president’s office said al-Sharah emphasized to Trump “the country’s full commitment to Syria’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty, as well as the country’s enthusiasm for preserving state institutions and promoting civil peace.”
According to the statement, Al-Shara also spoke of the importance of uniting international efforts to prevent the return of “terrorist groups,” including the Islamic State (ISIS).
President Trump later told Fox News that he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had “resolved a tremendous problem as it relates to Syria,” without providing further details.
The SDF announced on January 18 that its forces had withdrawn from the northeastern Syrian cities of Raqqa and Deir al-Zor, following attacks by the Syrian army. The announcement received mixed reactions from city residents.
The White House has long supported the SDF in Syria, but US Syria envoy Tom Barrack said last week that the Kurdish-led group’s role as the “primary counter-ISIS force on the ground” was “nearly over” and that the Syrian government had assumed internal security responsibilities.
The US envoy said the situation in Syria had changed “fundamentally” with Damascus joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS as the 90th member state at the end of 2025.
The change in the US position on the SDF was initially questioned even within President Trump’s Republican Party, with Sen. Lindsey Graham saying the US should reimpose sanctions on Syria in response to the recent attacks.
But Graham has since credited Trump with restoring stability to Syria.
The Kremlin announced Tuesday that Putin will meet with al-Shara in Moscow on Wednesday.
“We will discuss the current situation and prospects of bilateral relations in various fields, as well as the current situation in the Middle East,” the Kremlin said.
