Comment fuels Trump’s Neocon critics
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for a surprise White House decision to pull 2,000 U. S. troops out of Syria, calling their presence there illegitimate and an impediment to peace in the region.
Addressing a record 1,700 journalists at his 14th annual end-of-year marathon press conference Thursday, Putin said he agreed with President Donald Trump’s assessment that Islamic State had largely been defeated on the ground in Syria.
“Donald is right, I agree with him [about that],” he said, stating that radical militants still holding small parts of northern Syria had suffered at least a “serious blow” over the past year.
“I don’t think the [U. S. forces] are needed there,” Putin said. “And let’s not forget that the presence of [U. S.] troops there is illegitimate. The U. S. is there without backing from the United Nations or an invitation from the Syrian government. Russia is there at the invitation of the Syrian government. But if the U. S. has decided to withdraw, that’s good.”
The U. S. has justified its military presence in Syria to combat the Islamic State as part of its global war on terrorism.
Putin then expressed skepticism about whether the U. S. withdrawal from Syria will actually happen.
“We don’t yet see any signs yet of the withdrawal of U. S. troops,” he said. “And how long has the U. S. been in Afghanistan? 17 years? And almost every year they say they’re pulling out their troops.
