“The Syrian army has taken control of Manbij,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters Saturday on a conference call. The two countries have a “common will to clear Syrian territories of all terrorist groups,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. The U.S. withdrawal risked a crisis in the relationship, as Turks prepared to take over Manbij while their Kurdish adversaries sought help from Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, which is backed by Russia. The U.S.-led forces fighting Islamic State in Syria partnered and armed the YPG, and Trump’s decision to exit Syria has left them vulnerable to Turkey. Trump announced the withdrawal on Dec. 19 after a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prompting the departure of his secretary of defense, Jim Mattis, in protest.

Source: National Post December 29, 2018 17:37 UTC