Trump goes it alone in Syria – and Kosovo

Russia is pleased, France is worried, the EU is silent: With his announcement to withdraw US troops from Syria, President Trump has once again ignored his Allies. Trump also plays solo in Kosovo.

The early withdrawal of US troops is a „victory for Russia, Iran, Turkey and the Syrian regime,“ the head of the Liberals in the European Parliament, Verhofstadt, is outraged. Europe has now become „more vulnerable“.

France is also worried. The terrorist militia „Islamic State“ (IS) has been weakened, but „not erased from the map“, twittered Defence Minister Parly. She wants to leave her troops in Syria.

What is certain is that the European allies have been ignored – and they have to bear the greatest risks. The refugee crisis of 2015 and the IS murders in Paris, Berlin and Strasbourg send their greetings…

The Kurds, who have long been used by the USA and the EU as spearheads in the fight against the IS, must also be concerned. The Turkish Sultan Erdogan wants to take action against them – Trump gives him free rein.

But the EU politicians are silent on all this. They have never had a Syria strategy before and now have to watch helplessly how, after Russia and Turkey, the USA also creates facts. Is there an EU foreign policy?

This question is also raised by the unilateral action of the USA in the new Kosovo crisis. The Americans supported the re-militarisation of the former Serbian province, which is causing unrest in the region.

Now they are also interfering in the negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia, for which the UN and the EU would actually be responsible. After all, both countries want to become EU members…

But instead of loudly criticising this, EU foreign policy commissioner Mogherini has welcomed US interference as a „sign of support“. The US remains an „important partner“ in foreign policy, she stressed.

Well then…

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator. More on Foreign policy issues here (in German)