WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, today issued the following statement after President Trump announced his decision to lift sanctions against Turkey and claimed he accomplished a “great outcome” in Syria:

“President Trump’s claim that he achieved a “great outcome” in Syria is misleading and delusional.  He has not saved thousands of Kurdish lives, but he has benefited our adversaries and put America’s security interests at risk.  President Trump’s endorsement of the Putin-Erdogan deal hands a victory to Russia and Assad at the expense of our Kurdish partners in the fight against ISIS.

“His decision to lift sanctions now makes clear that he was never serious about holding Turkey accountable for its incursion and the resulting violence, including killings that Secretary of Defense Esper has stated are potential war crimes. 

“The Trump Administration seems content to cede our interests in the Middle East to Putin and Assad while having no strategy to stabilize Syria or to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.”