Since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011, the European Union has been the largest donor of humanitarian, stabilisation and resilience assistance to Syrians, with another conference known as Brussels VII – aimed at supporting Syria and the region – held on June 14 and 15 in the Belgian capital. But the recent rehabilitation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by regional players has arguably complicated the EU's task.
How should it provide aid, especially after the devastating earthquake of February, without normalising the Syrian strongman? And how should the EU move towards long-term recovery and development in Syria, while it faces considerable political constraints?
