US envoy meets SDF commander, calls for Syria ceasefire to be upheld

The United States has reiterated support for a ceasefire in Syria’s north, urging the government and Kurdish-led forces to adopt “confidence-building measures” after recent clashes.

US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack made the diplomatic appeal on Thursday after meeting with Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Ilham Ahmed, a leading Syrian Kurdish politician.

“All parties agreed that the essential first step is the full upholding of the current ceasefire, as we collectively identify and implement ‍confidence-building measures on all ⁠sides to foster trust and lasting stability,” he wrote on X.

Barrack also renewed US backing for an agreement signed on January 18 between the Syrian government and the SDF on integrating the Kurdish-led forces into state institutions, as part of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s push to unify Syria.

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