With strings attached -- that is how almost all the recent foreign aid and assistance into Syria should be seen. After the December 2024 rebel offensive that toppled the country's decades-long Assad family dictatorship, various neighbouring states have stepped in to help Syria recover from 14 years of brutal civil war. There is a lot of vaunted talk of humanitarian assistance, Arab unity, international development and regional security. But as in any other diplomatic sphere, most of the countries involved are also acting in their own interest.