(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) President-elect Donald Trump urged the U.S. not to “get involved” in the ongoing Syrian civil war between rebels and the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
Trump made this call via Truth Social and X on Saturday morning, just as rebels reportedly gained ground near the Syrian capital of Damascus.
“In any event, Syria is a mess, but is not our friend,” Trump wrote, asserting that the U.S. should “have nothing to do with” the Middle Eastern country. “This is not our fight. Let it play out. Do not get involved.”
Opposition fighters in Syria, in an unprecedented move, have totally taken over numerous cities, in a highly coordinated offensive, and are now on the outskirts of Damascus, obviously preparing to make a very big move toward taking out Assad. Russia, because they are so tied up…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2024
Syria has been embroiled in a brutal civil war since 2011, which has claimed the lives of over half a million individuals. A staggering 12 million residents have been displaced, according to the BBC.
Al-Assad managed to keep U.S.-backed rebels out of the capital with assistance from Russia, Iran and Iranian-backed militias. However, Russia’s ability to protect the Syrian capital has diminished greatly as the war in Ukraine has drained its military resources.
BREAKING:
The Russian Air Force starts evacuating its Khmeimim airbase in Syria.
Several large military transport plans have just arrived to help pack up and evacuate both Russian soldiers and equipment.
🇷🇺🇸🇾 pic.twitter.com/ah0hZ0y542
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) December 7, 2024
“Russia, because they are so tied up in Ukraine, and with the loss there of over 600,000 soldiers, seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years,” Trump wrote.
“This is where former President Obama refused to honor his commitment of protecting the RED LINE IN THE SAND, and all hell broke out, with Russia stepping in,” he continued. “But now they are, like possibly Assad himself, being forced out, and it may actually be the best thing that can happen to them.”
Trump warned that Russia had little incentive to aid Syria “other than to make Obama look really stupid.”
Trump’s comments come a month after he won the 2024 election. He campaigned on a promise to end foreign conflicts and restore his first term’s America First foreign policy.
Trump’s foreign policy centers on the idea that America’s needs must be addressed instead of intervening in conflicts overseas.
This marks a sharp contrast to the foreign policies of his first-term predecessor, Barack Obama, and those of his successor-turned-predecessor, President Joe Biden.
