President-elect Donald Trump shared his thoughts on what is happening in Syria on Saturday, noting that it was not America’s fight, a sign he may not get involved in the conflict.
Trump shared his thoughts in a post to Truth Social, criticizing the Syrian rebels and former President Obama.
“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 on Truth Social. “There was never much of a benefit in Syria for Russia, other than to make Obama look really stupid.”
On Friday, Americans who were in Syria were advised to leave by the United States Embassy. The toppling of the country’s government comes after months of Russia and Iran backing its efforts against the opposition.
In his post on Saturday morning, Trump made clear that Syria was not an ally of the US and that the country should not get involved.
“In any event, Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Trump wrote on Saturday morning.
The group of rebels were trying to force Syrian President Bashar Assad out of office. The group behind the efforts, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, has been designated a terrorist group by the US.
On Friday, they successfully captured the city of Aleppo, resulting in flights out of the country being stopped, sparking a global response.
The US doesn’t have a large force in the region, with only 900 troops stationed in the northeast territory who are attempting to stop ISIS from reforming.