At the time of the attacks on the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo in early January, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa held an attention-grabbing meeting with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Jolani), in Syria. Following the meeting, Ursula von der Leyen stated that a “new phase” had begun in EU–Syria relations and announced that the European Union would provide approximately €620 million in humanitarian aid and support to Syria.
In response to the attacks in Aleppo, the Coordinators of the Kurdish Working Group in the European Parliament, MEPs Andreas Schieder (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group, S&D), Per Clausen (The Left Group, GUE/NGL) and Leoluca Orlando (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance) sent a letter to Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, on January 8.
Responding to the letter on February 3, Kallas stated the following:
“Thank you for your letter of 8 January 2026. I appreciate your concern and interest for the European Union’s policy towards Syria and, in particular, the protection of Syrian Kurds.
The European Union’s engagement with Syria is anchored in the Council Conclusions on Syria, adopted on 23 June 2025. The EU is committed to standing with all the Syrian people and to supporting a peaceful and inclusive transition that would meet the aspirations of all Syrians, without distinction.
Concerning the situation in Aleppo and, more broadly, in North-East Syria, the EU expressed its concern and urged all actors to immediately cease all military action, protect civilians and return to dialogue. The full protection of Kurdish rights is crucial – an aspect which the EU reiterates in our diplomatic contacts with interlocutors in the region.
The recent escalation in Syria underscored the urgent need for both the Syrian transitional authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to reach and implement a sustainable political agreement that would ensure, at the same time, the unity of the country and the meaningful participation of all Syrians.
The EU will continue to spare no effort in supporting an inclusive transition and national reconciliation, which safeguards Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and which enables the restoration of the fabric of the Syrian society in all its diversity.”