Putin Praises Trump’s Syria Withdrawal Plan
Russian President Vladimir Putin is often at odds with US policy, but his annual press conference on Thursday highlighted an exception: He agrees with President Donald Trump’s plan for a military exit from Syria.
Putin’s regular year-end press conference is a chance to show off his mastery of the minutiae of domestic and international politics.
And he used the occasion Thursday to weigh in on a story that is roiling Washington and its allies: Trump’s surprise announcement of a US troop withdrawal from Syria.
The Kremlin leader’s assessment? He agreed with Trump’s opinion that ISIS had largely been defeated in Syria, and said it was time for the United States to go.
“As for defeating ISIS, I do generally agree with the President of the United States. We have struck major blows and advances. There are now concerns that those terror groups can infiltrate neighboring countries … and pose a risk to Russia, the US, Europe and Central Asia,” said Putin.
“If the decision to withdraw was made, then it is a correct one,” Putin said, adding that the United Nations had not legitimized the presence of US forces in Syria.
