By Blessing Nweke

While Donald Trump attended the restoration ceremony of Notre Dame in Paris last weekend, armed Islamist fighters in Syria were advancing towards Damascus, marking a pivotal shift in the Middle East. As world leaders marveled at the restored cathedral, Trump made his stance clear on social media: “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend,” he declared, emphasizing that the U.S. should “have nothing to do with it.”

Trump’s comments underscore his non-interventionist foreign policy mandate. However, with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, questions loom about how the incoming administration will handle the evolving situation. Will Trump pull U.S. troops out of Syria? His nominee for national security adviser, Mike Waltz, has echoed Trump’s isolationist philosophy, stressing the need to avoid getting entangled in Middle Eastern conflicts.

Despite Trump’s rhetoric, the U.S. currently has about 900 troops stationed in Syria, tasked with countering ISIS remnants and protecting key allies like Israel and Kurdish forces. The Biden administration has been engaged in frantic diplomacy to shape Syria’s future, seeking a government that is transparent, inclusive, and free of terrorism.

The clash between Trump’s isolationist instincts and the realities on the ground suggests a complex path ahead. While Trump’s core interests may focus on countering ISIS and bolstering relations with Israel and Saudi Arabia, his administration’s actions will be scrutinized as regional powers like Turkey, Iran, and Russia assert influence in the wake of Assad’s fall. Trump’s approach to Syria will likely be shaped by a balancing act between his ideological commitment to withdrawal and the strategic imperatives of U.S. foreign policy.