Syrian President Bashar Assad said that while it’s hard to say if US President-elect Donald Trump will to his promises after moving into the White House, the US may become Syria’s “natural ally” if it starts fighting terrorists instead of shielding them.

Assad told Portuguese RTP TV channel in an interview to on Tuesday that he did not harbor high expectations on a U-turn in American approach to Syria after change of American administration in January. The Syrian leader believes Trump will find it hard to implement the idea of closer cooperation with Syria on fighting terrorism, saying that the future president, as any other American leader, will have little room for decision-making being under pressure of different lobby groups.

Full story: rt.com