U.S., French and German envoys have warned Syria's new Islamist rulers that their appointment of foreign jihadists to senior military posts is a security concern and bad for their image as they try to forge ties with foreign states,

Some refugees may return to Syria because they want to live there again. But many won’t—for the same reasons many refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe didn’t after World War II.

The prisons are open, the secret files are unlocked. Now Syrians are trying to figure out how to hold war criminals accountable.

Germany is leading European Union discussions on easing sanctions imposed on the Syrian government of toppled President Bashar al-Assad and aiding the country's population, foreign ministry sources said on Tuesday.

Germany is taking a leading role in discussions within the European Union (EU) about relaxing the sanctions placed on Syria. These sanctions were originally imposed after the violent crackdown on protests by the Syrian government in 2011.

Germany’s foreign minister has warned Syria’s new leaders that lifting sanctions imposed on the country will depend on them not establishing a new Islamist government.

Berlin on Monday advocated a pragmatic approach to Syria's transitional government after the new leader in Damascus declined to shake the hand of visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told The Associated Press that the U.S. needs to keep troops deployed in Syria to prevent the Islamic State group from reconstituting as a major threat

All Syrian groups, including women and Kurds, must be involved in the country's transition if Damascus wants European support, Germany's foreign minister said after a closely-watched first meeting with the new de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is travelling to the Syrian capital Damascus on Friday on an unannounced visit, is setting conditions for Syria's new de facto rulers for a resumption of relations with Germany and the European Union.

Germany is pushing the EU to ease sanctions on Syria as western countries seek to build bridges with its new rulers, diplomats said Tuesday.