Washington, Dec 8: After Syrian rebels took control of Damascus on Sunday, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee the city, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to protect Assad, and suggested that China might play a role in resolving the crisis.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed that Russia, which has suffered immense losses in the Ukraine war, had lost all interest in defending Syria. He stated that Russia had no reason to be involved in Syria in the first place, and its focus had shifted due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, where nearly 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded. Trump warned that if the situation in Syria escalated further, it could lead to a much larger and more destructive conflict. "Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was no longer interested in protecting him. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, a war that should never have started and could drag on indefinitely," he said.
Trump also highlighted that both Russia and Iran were weakened by ongoing conflicts, with Russia facing the consequences of its invasion of Ukraine and Iran grappling with tensions with Israel. He pointed out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also sought peace and a resolution to the war. "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 military successes. Similarly, Zelenskyy and Ukraine want to make a deal to end the madness. They’ve lost 400,000 soldiers and many civilians. Too many lives are being wasted unnecessarily," Trump said. He called for an immediate ceasefire and the initiation of negotiations, warning that continuing the conflict could lead to even worse consequences.
In his post, Trump also noted that now was a critical moment for Putin to act. "This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!" he concluded.
Earlier on Sunday, reports emerged that Bashar al-Assad had fled Damascus, effectively ending his more than two-decade rule over Syria. According to Reuters, the development followed claims by rebel groups that they had entered the capital. The rebels' advance occurred shortly after they reportedly seized Homs, Syria's third-largest city, to the north.
