International donors on Monday pledged almost 6 billion euros ($6.5 billion) in aid for Syria, hoping to encourage the new leaders of the conflict-ravaged country toward a peaceful political transition following the ouster of President Bashar Assad in December.

The EU led the way as donors on Monday pledged $5.8 billion euros in aid for Syria at a conference in Brussels -- but the call for funding to help

International donors pledged nearly $6.5 billion on Monday to support Syria’s reconstruction, aiming to stabilize the country following the fall of the Assad regime. The aid, announced at a European Union-led conference in Brussels,