‘Assad is gone’: Trump says Russia stopped backing Assad’s regime in Syria because of war in Ukraine

"Assad is gone," Trump wrote. "He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.

"Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now," he continued, "one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success. Likewise, Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians," he continued. "There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin.

"Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted," he continued, "too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse. I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!"

Syrian media reports that al-Assad, his wife, and three children, fled the country though it is not known where to, Fox News reports. A video statement from a group of men on Syrian TV said that al-Assad had been overthrown and that all prisoners had been released after the rebel groups opened the prisons and let everyone free. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said on Sunday that he did not know where Assad was.

Reports have emerged that both Iran, which has been dealing with a regional conflict in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, and Russia, which has its own regional struggles, have abandoned their al-Assad, making it far easier for the militant, Islamist rebels to take over the country and oust al-Assad from power.