The Bashar al-Assad government in Syria was accused by the US ambassador to the UN on Monday of disregarding UN resolutions and discussions. At a press conference when the United States assumed the UN Security Council leadership from the United Kingdom for the month of December, Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated, “It is the Assad regime that has ignored Security Council resolutions and refused to come to the table.” In addition to saying that the US has wanted peace talks to begin for a “very long time,” Thomas-Greenfield voiced alarm over the most recent events in Syria, given that fighting between the regime and opposition flared up again last week.
US critiques Assad regime at UN
“The state of affairs on the ground right now is alarming. We are keeping a close eye on that situation and will keep working with regional allies to find a way to resolve the issue and restore peace,” she stated. The US wants to find a way to
“achieve security and peace”
for the Syrian people, the ambassador said. Thomas-Greenfield reiterated the United States’ continued diplomatic efforts in Gaza, stating that
“those efforts are continuing to be made with the hopes that we can get to a resolution and on the humanitarian situation.”
“It’s a bad scenario. We are not downplaying the severity of the situation in any way, but we are also working on the ground every day to find a solution, make sure that the Palestinian people are receiving food and other essential relief, and more work has to be done in that area,”
she added.
“We’re moving forward,” she added, referring to the cease-fire agreement for Lebanon, which is less than a week old and has already seen scores of breaches by Israel. “
An agreement has been reached. The deal is still in place despite a few bumps, and we’re eager to keep an eye on the situation on the ground to make sure it continues.
“The cease-fire is still being observed,”
she stated.
Impacts of blocking peace negotiations
“Gender inequality and food insecurity, digital threats and regional conflicts”
were the top priorities on the diplomat’s December agenda.
“Far too many people are depending on us to just throw up our hands, so instead, we will roll up our sleeves and continue our work,”
she said, highlighting the US’ will to address the “stubborn challenges.” Algeria will succeed the United States as head of the Security Council at the end of the month, just before 2025. In Brussels on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his German colleague Annalena Baerbock spoke about the situation in Syria, Gaza, and Ukraine. According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, they had a meeting outside of the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting. Turkey is “a key player in the region” and has a “central role” in resolving the Syrian situation, according to a post on X by the German Foreign Ministry. Additionally, it stated that safeguarding minorities and civilians should be a “top priority. During the two-day NATO summit held in the Belgian capital from December 3–4, Fidan also took part in the North Atlantic Council Foreign Ministers Working Session.
UN envoy highlights Syria’s non-compliance
The recent events in Syria, where fighting between Assad government forces and anti-regime armed groups intensified on the fringes of Aleppo province, provided a backdrop for the diplomatic talks. Anti-regime organizations made tremendous territorial gains between November 27 and 30, moving quickly forward and seizing control of the majority of the province’s center region.
“The Assad regime is the one that ignores the UNSC decisions and does not sit at the table,”
stated Linda Thomas Greenfield, the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), in response to the current escalation of tensions in Syria.
Geopolitical implications of Assad’s actions
Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian government “is the one ignoring UN Security Council resolutions and refusing to come to the negotiating table,” according to US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Greenfield made these remarks at a news conference on Monday, which was organized in conjunction with the United States taking over the UN Security Council leadership from the United Kingdom. According to her, her nation is in contact with its regional allies, emphasizing the necessity of figuring out how to bring about peace and security for the Syrian people.
“The Syrian regime under Assad has disregarded UN Security Council resolutions and refused to participate in negotiations, despite our longstanding support for them,”
Greenfield stated. In addition to digital threats and regional conflicts, Greenfield clarified that two areas will be a focus under the US chairmanship of the UN Security Council: gender inequality and food poverty.
