US President-elect Donald Trump took to social media early Sunday morning to weigh in on the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.
Agency Report
US President-elect Donald Trump took to social media early Sunday morning to weigh in on the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.
“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place,” he said, adding “They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine.”
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“Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success,” Trump said.
The president-elect then highlighted the number of soldiers killed on both sides in Russia’s war on Ukraine and called for an end to the fighting.
“There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin,” he wrote without specifying which conflict he was referring to.
Trump’s declarations came as Syria’s rebel forces claim to have “liberated” Damascus following their surprise lightning offensive that has swept through the nation in just a few days. “Militarily, Damascus has fallen,” a source familiar with the advance told CNN.
The rebels said Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has fled Damascus, but Syria’s presidential office and Iranian officials previously maintained he has not departed the capital. US officials told CNN his regime could soon fall. The rebels say they are in touch with senior Assad regime officers who are considering defecting.
Scenes of celebration have been reported in multiple locations. Syria’s prime minister said in a recorded message that the government stands ready “to cooperate with any leadership the people choose.” He was seen in a video being escorted by rebels.
One US official told CNN that events in Syria mark the collapse of “Iran’s artifice” across the Middle East. The potential toppling of the Iran-backed Assad would follow the decimation of key Tehran proxies Hezbollah and Hamas in conflicts with Israel over the past 14 months.
Source: CNN