Dec 20, 2018

President Donald Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of Syria came as much as a surprise to Russia as it did to US allies in the region. Moscow is openly delighted to see the back of a key foe of its ally Bashar al-Assad, but remains flummoxed by the unpredictable nature of US policy under Trump.

Why it matters: Moscow has long advocated for America’s exit from Syria. Washington’s criticism of the Russia-led Astana talks on Syria with Turkey and Iran have been a constant source of irritation. And the presence of 2,200 or so US troops in the region only compounded the aggravation once it became clear the United States and Russia weren’t on the same page on how to confront terrorism. Instead of allies in the fight against the Islamic State, Moscow sees them as a spoiler for Russia, a challenge for Turkey and a threat to Iran. But the abruptness of Trump’s decision and the collective freakout in Washington has led to a stream of disparate reactions in Russia, from ill-concealed gloating and suspicions that it's all a smoke screen for some secret US moves to anxiety over the possible implications in the near term.

Prospects for peace: Hours after the announcement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed hope that the US pullout could create brighter prospects for settling the Syrian crisis.

“Maybe [the Syria-Jordan border] can now return to peaceful life, as did Aleppo. There was no such hope as long as American troops were there,” she told Russia’s Channel One.

Zakharova went on to argue that a US withdrawal could help kick-start talks on a new Syrian constitution that foundered this week after the Astana trio failed to agree on a final list of members with UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura.