Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced an agreement between a newly-founded US oil company, Delta Crescent Energy, and the Kurdish Autonomous Administration in northern Syria to optimize oil facilities in northeastern Syria and increase oil production. On the other hand, a week before, the American and French forces, in a joint military exercise with the Syrian Kurdish forces, introduced them to the latest war tactics, especially parachuting and working with drones. Middle East analysts have described the two Western actions in co-operation with Syrian Kurdish forces as a new development.

KurdPress spoke about the two issues with Fabrice Balanche, a Syrian analyst and professor at the University of Lyon in France.

"Currently, the most important thing about the relationship between the Syrian Kurds and the United States is the oil deal," said Dr. Fabrice Balanche about the US company's oil deal with the Syrian Kurds. “If the American company helps the Kurds to exploit this oil without the help of the Syrian government, it is a bigger step towards more Kurdish autonomy in Syria.”

"Regarding the recent joint military training between Kurdish, American and French forces, I am not sure that French forces have trained the Kurdish forces in Rojava,” the professor said about France joint military exercises with American and Syrian Kurdish forces.

"It is true that US forces still present in northeastern Syria, but this presence is weak," Dr. Balanche told KurdPress about the presence of US forces in Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria. “I do not know if Trump has changed his mind about the Syrian Kurds. But we, the French, must confront Erdogan's policy in Syria, and this is due to Turkey's intervention in Libya. France does not want to send new troops to Syria, but I am not sure about the US intention to increase troops in Syria.”

"In short, US policy is to maintain the status quo in Syria and the region under Kurdish control, not the withdrawal of forces," said professor ultimately.

Reporter’s code: 50101