President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had "solved a tremendous problem in conjunction with Syria," but he did not elaborate on what the solution entails.
The remark occurred during an interview on Fox News' "The Will Cain Show." Trump made the comment only hours after he spoke with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to the timeline provided in his remarks.
U.S. officials have been engaged in diplomatic work aimed at producing a lasting ceasefire and a political pathway between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The Kurdish-led forces had been Washington's primary partner in Syria in earlier policy phases. By contrast, Ahmed al-Sharaa is described as the United States government's current preferred partner in dealings with Syria.
Beyond the brief statement that a problem had been "solved," the president offered no further particulars about the nature of the agreement, what steps would follow, or how any arrangement would be implemented on the ground. The lack of substantive detail leaves open questions about the scope and durability of the claimed resolution.
Diplomatic engagement between the United States, the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces has been presented as focusing on both immediate security arrangements - a ceasefire - and longer-term political steps toward resolving underlying conflict dynamics. The president's comments indicate a development in those efforts, although the specifics were not shared.
Summary
President Trump stated that he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had resolved a significant issue involving Syria, speaking on Fox News after a call with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The administration continues to pursue diplomacy aimed at a ceasefire and political settlement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government. The statement did not include concrete details.
Key points
- Trump claimed he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had "solved a tremendous problem in conjunction with Syria," without offering specifics.
- The comment followed a conversation between Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hours earlier.
- U.S. diplomatic efforts are focused on negotiating a ceasefire and political resolution between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government; the SDF had been Washington's primary ally in Syria, while al-Sharaa is now described as the U.S. preferred partner.
Risks and uncertainties
- The president provided no details on what was "solved," leaving the nature and durability of the claimed resolution unclear.
- Without additional information, it is uncertain how any agreement would be implemented between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led forces.
- The article does not provide evidence or confirmation from other parties involved, so independent verification of the claim is not available in this account.