Tag: Trump caved to Russia

Trump says U.S. will lift sanctions on Turkey, calling cease-fire in Syria ‘permanent’

Washington Post logoPresident Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will lift sanctions on Turkey, saying that the Turkish government has informed the White House that it will abide by what he characterized as a “permanent” cease-fire along the border with Syria.

At a hastily organized event in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Trump also used the occasion to justify his “America First” foreign policy agenda, pushing back against critics by arguing that he is removing U.S. troops from a region where they should not be involved.

“Let someone else fight over this long-bloodstained sand,” Trump said.

View the complete October 23 article by Felicia Sonmez and David Nakamura on The Washington Post website here.

Russia and Turkey reach deal to push Kurdish forces out of zone in northern Syria

Washington Post logoISTANBUL — Russia and Turkey agreed Tuesday on a plan to push Syrian Kurdish fighters from a wide swath of territory just south of Turkey’s border, cementing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s preeminent role in Syria as U.S. troops depart and America’s influence wanes.

The agreement, reached after an hours-long meeting between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi, will leave Turkey and Russia in control of territory formerly held by Kurdish forces once allied with the United States.

More important, though, the deal bolstered Russia’s preferred endgame in Syria’s civil war by allowing its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to regain control over more of his country’s territory. Russia is also prodding states in the region to recognize, either explicitly or tacitly, the Syrian government’s authority, analysts said.

View the complete October 22 article by Kareem Fahim, Karen DeYoung and Missy Ryan on The Washington Post website here.

Trump Just Gave ISIS ‘Its Biggest Win In More Than Four Years

Trump continues to claim credit for single-handedly defeating ISIS, but his reckless and chaotic decision to withdraw from Syria was a big win for ISIS and greatly improved its prospects. After inheriting a successful anti-ISIS campaign, Trump is risking the reversal of hard-fought gains by the U.S. and our allies.

TRUMP, TUESDAY: “ISIS was all over the place … It was me…who captured them. I’m the one who did the capturing. I’m the one who knows more about it than you people or the fake pundits.”

TRUMP, ALSO TUESDAY: “When I took over ISIS was all over the place. You know that better than anybody, two and a half years ago. I went in and when I started I got rid of that whole thing. All those prisoners, all that — those are my — they were captured under Trump.” Continue reading “Trump Just Gave ISIS ‘Its Biggest Win In More Than Four Years”

Trump: Let Assad, Russia or China protect the Kurds

The Hill logoPresident Trump on Monday said other countries — including China or Russia — should be responsible for protecting the U.S.-allied Kurds in northern Syria amid a groundswell of bipartisan criticism over his decision to pull American forces out of the region.

Trump took to Twitter to argue against a U.S. presence in the region, even as some of his staunchest allies in Congress assert that his strategy has opened the door for Turkey to slaughter the Kurds and for a resurgence of ISIS.

“Let Syria and Assad protect the Kurds and fight Turkey for their own land. I said to my Generals, why should we be fighting for Syria and Assad to protect the land of our enemy?” Trump tweeted.

View the complete October 14 article by Brett Samuels on The Hill website here.