The administration of the 45th US President Donald Trump does not have any foreign policy. This was stated by former vice president of the country Joe Biden in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, answering the question whether American troops should remain in Syria.
“Now it seems quite advisable to have a contingent there consisting of a couple of hundred military personnel who can protect the Kurds and ensure security in the region. But letting the troops down, doing what he is doing now, declaring his intention to take control of the oil fields, is like placing a giant poster urging them to join IG *. I don’t think he has any kind of foreign policy course, ”Biden said.
According to him, this situation leads to the fact that the United States is losing its position in the Middle East, while Russia and Iran, on the contrary, only increase their influence in this region.
“See: Russia has strengthened its position in the region. Assad’s position also strengthened. Iran has got a passage to Syria and even Lebanon. In the place of Israel, I would not be delighted. The situation turned upside down, and we remained almost on our own, ”said Biden.
Recall that in the second decade of October, US authorities reported that they retained a small group of troops in northeast Syria in order to prevent access to the resources of this region by Islamic State fighters and other terrorists.
"The US armed forces will give a serious answer to any forces that will threaten them," said Pentagon chief Mark Esper.
He also noted that the smuggling of oil from these fields previously brought serious income to terrorists, but now - under US control - the armed groups of the Syrian opposition - the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDS), which are largely composed of Kurds, will benefit.
- Donald Trump about oil
The Russian Ministry of Defense called the actions of the American authorities “international state banditry,” since US troops are illegally in Syria. The agency, referring to intelligence from satellites, noted that US intelligence agencies and private military companies are engaged in smuggling oil from the ATS.
“Bypassing their own sanctions, the Americans smuggled oil worth more than $ 30 million a month from Syria and are not going to leave these areas for the foreseeable future,” added Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
In turn, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the United States is supporting “armed forces loyal to them” with these funds.
“Oil again. ISIS is good with him, but the oil will be “protected” so that the Syrian state does not “capture it,” Lavrov said in an interview with the International Review program on the Russia 24 channel.
“Any occasion can be used to attack Trump.”
The first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense, Alexander Sherin, in an interview with RT, noted that more and more Syrian lands are coming under the control of official authorities. In this process, Moscow plays a significant role, which Damascus officially asked for help in the fight against terrorists.
At the same time, the deputy noted that the position of the United States on the world stage may weaken "not because Donald Trump has no foreign policy," but because of the many conflicts in which the United States takes part.
“Trump is facing a serious dilemma. The United States will have to gradually abandon the least profitable and promising projects for themselves. One of them is Syria, ”Sherin explained.
The parliamentarian also noted that Biden’s criticism of Trump is due to the election campaign, so in the near future we should expect new “attacks by internal political forces” against the current head of the White House.
The statement by the former US vice president is a game exclusively for the internal audience, says Dmitry Solonnikov, director of the Institute for Contemporary State Development. He recalled that Joe Biden is fighting to become a Democratic presidential candidate.
“He must remind himself not only in the negative key of the Ukrainian situation ... For attacks on Trump, you can use any excuse, even such as the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, saying that this is a lack of foreign policy. Although in reality this is precisely the foreign policy of the American president, which is being consistently implemented. He announced the withdrawal of troops a couple of years ago and now he is consistently moving towards fulfilling his promises, ”the expert explained.
“Biden is playing on his supporters, explaining Trump’s actions by the lack of foreign policy, which is actually a lie. Strengthening Russia is a beautiful PR move that can be waved like a flag. No doubt, there is nothing substantial behind this statement, ”Solonnikov said in an interview with RT.
We add, Biden had previously predicted that NATO would cease to exist if the American people reelect Donald Trump for a second term in 2020. In addition, the former US vice president supported the initiative to investigate the head of the White House to impeach him.
* “Islamic State” (ISIS, ISIS) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.