While attending Notre-Dame Cathedrals re-opening in Paris Donald Trump made a direct-to-social-media statement that shocked many policy experts; his post suggested complete US withdrawal from Syrian matters
SYRIA IS A MESS‚ BUT IS NOT OUR FRIEND‚ & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT
The ex-presidents message came at a time when rebel forces near Damascus made un-expected progress (which might change regional power balance). His Paris trip included meet-ups with various world-leaders: however the Syrian situation seemed to be on top of his mind
The timing of Trumps statement raised eye-brows among foreign-policy experts because:
- Syrian rebels showed major military success
- Damascus safety became questionable
- Regional allies expected US support
- Middle-East stability was at stake
His truth-social declaration points to a hands-off approach in middle-eastern affairs - which differs from long-standing US policies in the region