UN Special Envoy Says Premature to Assess US Withdrawal From Syria
23:49 20.12.2018
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - It is premature to assess the US decision to withdraw its military presence from Syria, UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura told reporters on Thursday.
"As far as I'm concerned, and I'm sure I'm talking not only on my behalf, it is totally premature for making any comments on my side on the implications, the effects of that important decision which was announced yesterday, both on the political ground and on the military ground," Mistura said.
The envoy added that the United Nations will never abandon the people of Syria.
Trump in a Twitter post earlier in the day said his decision to withdraw troops from Syria was "no surprise" considering he had been campaigning on the promise for years.
Russia, Iran, Syria and others, the US president added, are the local enemy of the Daesh. Trump claimed the United States had been doing Russia, Iran and the Syrian government's job.
On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders in a statement said the United States had defeated the Daesh territorial caliphate in Syria and was withdrawing troops to transition to the next phase of the campaign. She affirmed that the victories over Daesh in Syria do not signal the end to the US-led coalition or its campaign.
Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia.
© Sputnik
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