Western powers resume contacts in Syria to prevent chaos

Europe's top diplomat Kaja Kallas was heading to Damascus on Monday, after a number of countries, including the United States, announced they had made initial approaches. The situation in Syria, long allied with Iran and Russia, remains volatile and Western nations are wary of the Al-Qaeda roots of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that seized power in a lightning offensive. But none wants to pass up the opportunity to forge links, given the risk of fragmentation and resurgence of the Islamic State group, which has never been completely eradicated.