WASHINGTON D.C. (TDI): U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that Russia abandoned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad which led to his downfall.
In a statement on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump said Moscow first protected Assad, which he believed should never have happened, and then lost interest because of the Ukraine war that “never should have started, and could go forever.”
“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by (President) Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
Read More: Assad Era Ends: Damascus Falls to Rebels
“There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place,” Trump wrote. “They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine … a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.”
Trump, who is set to take office for his second term on January 20, said Russia and Iran, Assad’s other main backer, “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’s remarks come hours after Syrian opposition fighters seized the presidential palace in Damascus, marking the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s 53-year family rule.
Read More: Opposition Forces Capture Assad’s Presidential Palace
The rapid offensive by the group, known as the “Operations Room to Conquer Damascus”, culminated in the capture of the capital, sending jubilant crowds into the streets.
Trump, who has promised to halt the Ukraine war as soon as he returns to power, met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday in Paris where he attended the re-opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral.
“Russia and Ukraine have both suffered hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded troops, and Ukraine has also lost many civilians,” he said.
Read More: Syrian Opposition Declares Fall of Assad Government
Trump said the Ukrainian lead “would strike a deal to stop this madness” as he called for an immediate ceasefire.
“I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!”
