Ukraine’s foreign minister meets new Syrian leaders in Damask

Source: Reuters

Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiha met with Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus, marking a new chapter in Ukrainian-Syrian relations.

The talks come as Ukraine ramps up its humanitarian efforts in Syria, after Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv is sending 500 tons of wheat flour to aid Damask cope with food shortages. Part of the “Grain from Ukraine” initiative realized in partnership with the UN World Food Programme, it addresses the food crises in war-hit regions across the world.

Kyiv has expressed its intention to renew relations with Syria following a power shift in the country that saw Ahmed al-Sharaa recently replace Bashar al-Assad at the helm of the country that for a long time was a staunch ally of Russia. t

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In 2025, the deadliest year yet for civilians, Ukraine’s three largest charitable foundations raised a record 105.9 billion hryvnias. It is more than the years 2022–2024 combined. According to the UN, humanitarian aid in Ukraine was delivered by more than 450 organisations, reaching five million people over the course of the year. Civic foundations hold licences to purchase lethal weapons, which is a function states have monopolised for centuries. These record sums were underwritten by international government grants, which means foreign states now channel billions directly through Ukrainian civic funds, bypassing inter-state channels. It is hard to imagine a stronger institutional trust in civil society.