President Donald Trump is defending his decision to pull U.S. troops out of northern Syria as Turkey continues to launch strikes against Kurdish forces in the region. He told reporters that whatever happens between Turkey, Syria, and the Kurds is "not our problem."
"If Turkey goes into Syria, it is between Turkey and Syria. It's not our problem," Trump said. "The Kurds know how to fight. As I said, they are not angels."
Trump has faced mounting criticism for his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria and abandoning our Kurdish allies who helped us defeat ISIS. With U.S. forces pulling out, Russia has stepped in to fill the void, something that Trump doesn't seem concerned about.
"If Russia wants to get involved with Syria, that's really up to them," Trump said. "We shouldn't be losing lives over it."
Trump's comments come as Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are traveling to Turkey to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While they hope to bring an end to the fighting, Erdogan has said he has no intention of stopping the attacks.
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