President Donald Trump declared a “big success” in Syria on Wednesday, even as Russia gained a foothold in that country and members of Congress expressed growing concerns about Trump’s policy.
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Trump has come under withering criticism for withdrawing U.S. forces from northeastern Syria, paving the way for a deadly Turkish attack on U.S.-allied Kurdish forces.
A U.S.-brokered cease-fire that suspended deadly fighting between Turkish forces and the Kurds expired on Tuesday.
In a tweet, Trump said that ceasefire has held and “combat missions have ended.” He said he would be making a statement from the White House Wednesday morning.
But the situation in Syria remains in flux. On the ground, Russia has moved to fill a power vacuum created by the U.S. departure, the Kurds fear an ethnic cleansing by Turkish forces and ISIS fighters are vying for a comeback amid the chaos.
On Tuesday, Russia and Turkey agreed to take joint control of a vital strip of territory along the Syria-Turkey border, a victory for Moscow as the U.S. military continued its withdrawal from Syria.
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