‘Not our fight’: President-elect Trump distances US from Syria’s conflict

In a morning social media post, Republican Donald Trump indicated the US should have ‘nothing to do’ with Syria’s war.

President-elect Donald Trump has signalled that, under his administration, the United States would cease any involvement in Syria’s long-running civil war, hinting at a possible end to support for Kurdish-led forces in the region.

In a Saturday morning missive on social media, Trump addressed the surprise opposition offensive that has redrawn the battle lines in the Syrian conflict.

“Syria is a mess, but is not our friend,” Trump wrote, before switching to all uppercase letters for emphasis. “THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!”

Trump campaigned for re-election in November’s presidential race by pushing an “America First” platform, one that critics feared could destabilise US alliances abroad.

In Syria, the US maintains no formal diplomatic relations with the government of embattled President Bashar al-Assad. But it does back the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led coalition based largely in the northeast, as an ally in defeating ISIL (ISIS).