EU welcomes 'positive, long-awaited' fall of Assad regime

LONDON

The EU’s new foreign policy chief on Sunday welcomed the rapid collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, calling it is "a positive and long-awaited development."

"It also shows the weakness of (Bashar al-) Assad’s backers, Russia and Iran. Our priority is to ensure security in the region," Kaja Kallas, who took office about a week ago, wrote on X.

Kallas said that she will work with all the constructive partners, in Syria and in the region, adding that she is in close contact with top officials in the region.

"The process of rebuilding Syria will be long and complicated and all parties must be ready to engage constructively," she said.

After a period of relative calm, clashes between Assad regime forces and anti-regime groups reignited on Nov. 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.

Over 10 days, opposition forces launched a lightning offensive, capturing key cities and then, on Sunday, the capital Damascus. The rapid advance, supported by defecting military units, led to the collapse of the Assad regime after 13 years of civil war.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Assad himself made the decision to step down and leave Syria, though it did not say what country he traveled to.