Russia and Putin · First term · № 48
Announced withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, a decision Putin called 'right'
“We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.”
- Said
- Subject
- Syria troop withdrawal
- Type
- NATO and allies
- Topic
- Foreign policy
- Era
- First term
What happened
On December 19, 2018, Trump announced the withdrawal of the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, where Russia and Iran back the government of Bashar al-Assad. Putin said the next day that the decision to withdraw 'is right', that he largely agreed Islamic State had been defeated, and that he doubted the United States would fully leave. Six senators, four of them Republicans, wrote that the withdrawal 'emboldens ISIS, Bashar al Assad, Iran, and Russia', and British and French ministers said the group remained a threat. Trump wrote that Russia, Iran and Syria 'are not happy about the U.S. leaving', a claim PolitiFact rated False. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned on December 20, writing that Trump had the right to a defense secretary 'whose views are better aligned with yours'. In February 2019 the White House said about 400 troops would remain, partially reversing the decision.
Sources
- Tweets of December 19, 2018
- Trump defends his decision to withdraw troops from Syria, but Vladimir Putin is skeptical the US will fully pull out
- Syria: Putin welcomes Trump's decision to pull out US troops
- Donald Trump claims Russia is 'not happy' U.S. troops are leaving Syria. That isn't true
- Defense Secretary Mattis Resigns Amid Syria And Afghanistan Tension
- White House Will Keep About 400 Troops In Syria, Reversing Previous Decision