President-elect Donald Trump reacted on Sunday to the news that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country following a massive rebel assault on Damascus.
Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, “Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was no longer interested in protecting him.”
Trump attributed Russia’s shift in position to the ongoing war in Ukraine, stating, “There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place,” according to a Fox News report.
They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started and could go on forever.”
He also noted the weakening states of Russia and Iran, attributing Russia’s decline to the situation in Ukraine and Iran’s troubles to ongoing conflicts with Israel.
Trump urged for a ceasefire and negotiations, stressing that “too many lives are being needlessly wasted,” and called for action from global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!”
The Syrian government had not immediately commented on Assad’s departure, but Syrian television reports confirmed that Assad fled with his wife Asma and their three children. The whereabouts of the family remains unknown.
A video statement aired on Syrian state television by a group of rebels confirmed that Assad had been overthrown and that all prisoners had been freed.
The group, calling itself the Operations Room to Conquer Damascus, called on both fighters and citizens to protect the institutions of the newly declared “free Syrian state.”
Syria’s Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali also confirmed Sunday morning that he did not know where Assad had gone.
In the footage, he was seen being escorted by rebel fighters to meet with their leaders to discuss the transition.
In Damascus, crowds gathered in the central squares, celebrating Assad’s departure from power. Many residents expressed disbelief at how quickly Assad lost control over the country after years of brutal civil war. Since November 27, rebel forces had made significant advances, taking the cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs in a matter of days as Assad’s forces retreated.
Syria’s civil war, now entering its 14th year, started as an uprising against Assad’s family rule, which has lasted more than 50 years. Throughout the war, Assad’s regime was bolstered by support from Russia and Iran.
However, both countries, weakened by other regional conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and clashes with Israel, were unable to stop the growing momentum of the rebel forces.
Syria’s future remains uncertain as the rebels, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, face the daunting task of rebuilding the country amid deep ethnic and sectarian divisions.
