French, German, and British Diplomats Reach Out to Syria’s New Rulers

The leader of Russia’s Muslim republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, calls for Hayat Tahrir al-Shams to be removed from list of banned terrorist groups.

The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, addresses a crowd at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, on Dec. 8, 2024. Aref Tammawi/AFP via Getty Images

German and French government officials are meeting Syria’s new rulers, 24 hours after British diplomats met Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the main rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS).

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted on Dec. 8 and a rebel alliance led by HTS took the Syrian capital, Damascus.