According to Kordpress, the note published by Mike Pence, the first vice president of Donald Trump in the first term of his presidency, in the National Review magazine entitled "Religious freedom is the first test of Syria", is based on the premise that the legitimacy of the new Syrian government will depend on how it treats vulnerable minorities, especially Christians and Kurds.

Pence sees the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime as a turning point, but emphasizes that this transformation is only meaningful if it does not lead to the replacement of one structure with another form of authoritarianism. From his point of view, the measure of any new government in the Middle East is how it deals with religious and ethnic minorities.

In the section on the Kurds, Pence focuses on the history of Kurdish forces working closely with the United States in the fight against ISIS. He reminds that the Kurdish forces fought alongside the American army against ISIS and paid a heavy price; Therefore, Washington should not ignore these former allies now that the political equations have changed. He is referring to the recent agreement to integrate Kurdish forces into the structure of the Syrian government, which, in his opinion, can contribute to stability, but is only acceptable if it is voluntary, accompanied by constitutional guarantees and real political participation. Otherwise, "integration" can mean "forced compliance" in his interpretation.

Pence also warns against the ideological background of the new leaders of Damascus, saying that changing the political tone is not enough, and that the new government must demonstrate in practice its commitment to religious freedom, the security of minorities and accountability for human rights violations. He emphasizes that the US should not agree to normalize relations or provide reconstruction aid without clear conditions.

Overall, the central message of the note is that the future of Syria and its relationship with the international community is directly tied to how the Syrian Kurds and other minorities are treated. According to Pence, supporting the rights of Kurds is not only a moral obligation, but part of the national security interests of the United States.