French president welcomes US ‘reversal’ to keep troops in Syria

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday welcomed the United States’ decision to leave American troops in Syria. The move is seen as a reversal by US President Donald Trump that came after an outcry from coalition allies such as France. “On the US decision, I can only but welcome this choice,” Macron told a news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih in Paris. “The US decision is a good thing. We will continue to operate in the region within the coalition.” Macron had personally sought to convince Trump to maintain troops in Syria, Reuters cited French diplomats as saying in December, warning Trump about the risks of pulling out too early. The US will leave about 400 troops split between two different regions of Syria, a senior administration official said last Friday.