U.S. Diplomacy Key in Bridging SDF-Syrian Government Gaps

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are committed to “accelerating the integration of the SDF into the Syrian state,” SDF commander Mazloum Abdi stated on November 11. The assertion followed a White House meeting between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and President Donald Trump, where, according to a Syrian Foreign Ministry statement, the two leaders “agreed to move towards implementing the March 10 agreement, which stipulated the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army.”

The implementation of the agreement has stalled since March. Still, Abdi’s remarks reflect cautious optimism. In mid-October, the SDF commander said he had agreed in principle to integrate into the Syrian armed forces, claiming that he and the government had settled on a “mechanism” for integration. However, Damascus offered no confirmation at the time, suggesting the announcement may have been unilateral.

Syria’s Entry Into Anti-ISIS Coalition Undermines SDF Leverage

Since 2015, the SDF has played a central role in degrading the Islamic State alongside the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. As U.S. Central Command commander Gen. Joseph Votel noted in 2018, the SDF “has been a valuable partner in the fight against ISIS” and “sacrificed greatly to liberate large portions of their country.” This close partnership, combined with Kurdish concerns over Sharaa’s centralization of power and Kurdish fears about protection, helps explain the SDF’s reluctance to concede key demands in the integration talks, specifically its insistence on joining the Syrian army as a unified force rather than as individuals.

However, with Syria’s entry into the coalition, the SDF’s bargaining power has diminished. Sharaa has positioned himself as Washington’s security partner in Syria, and he is likely to use that leverage to weaken the SDF at the negotiation table and pressure it to compromise.

Unclear Signals From Damascus

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on November 13 that there has been no “positive or practical progress in the agreement with Mazloum Abdi.” Despite this, the Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab stated that the SDF and the Syrian government will meet in the coming days to discuss integrating the SDF’s military and security units.

Khattab also suggested that the issue of the Deir Ezzour Province, where the SDF controls most of the territory, will be resolved soon. Only the province’s largest city is under government control, and locals have expressed their frustration with the lack of progress toward integrating the province into the state. Sharaa told The Washington Post on November 11 that the best solution is “that the U.S. troops present in Syria should supervise the integration” of the SDF into the central government’s security forces.

Washington Should Engage Diplomatically Without Taking Sides

The SDF was the main ground force in anti-ISIS operations as part of the coalition, and it continues to lead operations against a resurging Islamic State, backed by remaining U.S. forces. The close partnership is the primary reason why U.S. diplomatic engagement is key to resolving the outstanding issues between the SDF and the Syrian government. If the integration collapses, not only would Damascus and the SDF become hostile, but U.S. gains against ISIS could unravel. The SDF holds thousands of Islamic State fighters in prisons and camps, and any chaos could trigger mass escapes and a resurgence of violence.

Warm U.S. relations with both Damascus and the SDF, balanced with pressure from Washington to reach a compromise, can incentivize both parties to implement the agreement. The Trump administration should urge Sharaa’s government to address the SDF’s concerns about power centralization, while also incentivizing the SDF to negotiate the future of the Deir Ezzour province as a gesture of goodwill toward Damascus.

Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.