"If these reports are true, the administration is playing right into the hands of Vladimir Putin. Making any concession to Russia, absent a broader strategy for Syria, is irresponsible and short-sighted," the Arizona senator, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, said in a blistering statement.
The administration has yet to articulate its vision for Syria beyond the defeat of [ISIS], let alone a comprehensive approach to the Middle East," he said, adding that Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad had to go.
"A key pillar of American strategy must be the removal of Assad from power as part of an end to the brutal conflict in Syria, which has fueled [ISIS’] growth through its cruelty, extended malign Iranian influence, and undermined broader regional stability," he said.
McCain also rebuked President Trump’s leadership in the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan.