Today, President Trump handed two substantial victories to Russia: withdrawing US troops from Syria and lifting sanctions on two Russian firms run by friends of Putin. Russia has clearly gained. Question for the WH: what has the US gained?

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) December 19, 2018

NEW: Trump undermines his entire national security team on Syria https://t.co/tZpcHoyM1u @PostOpinions

— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) December 19, 2018

As we suspected, the Pentagon was not informed in advance that Trump would announce an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Syria.

Bigger picture: Trump got bored with the shutdown crisis he had created, so he manufactured a new, bigger crisis to take its place. https://t.co/oVIRRepe5I

— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) December 19, 2018

US diplomats shaken by Trump decision to exit Syria https://t.co/n3RnHyy2KH via @AlMonitor

— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) December 19, 2018

US allies on the ground in Syria are freaking out over the apparent decision to withdraw US troops https://t.co/O00hpyhVxd by @mike_giglio

— Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder) December 19, 2018

I don't think USG ever had genuinely coherent policies towards Syria's awful civil war. But having taken Obama to task, with @RadioFreeTom, for abandoning his own 2013 Syrian "redline," let me add that Trump's declaring victory & walking away is even more craven & short-sighted.

— John Schindler (@20committee) December 19, 2018

“ISIS has NOT been defeated,” says @SoccerMouaz of the Syrian Emergency Task Force. “I have no idea what the president is talking about.”

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 19, 2018

How much of this is just his wanting to change the subject?https://t.co/SvDM7IeRXB

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) December 19, 2018

"Trump ran against stupid wars. Those who oppose him on taking our troops out of Syria today opposed him then for the basic reason that those stupid wars were the wars they cheered into being." @HardballChris https://t.co/ItBCByzOGv

— Hardball (@hardball) December 20, 2018

Why? "Trump ready to remove sanctions on Deripaska's Rusal in 30 days" https://t.co/9IBdgukWnb via @bpolitics

— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) December 19, 2018

Am I the only one who finds it a little odd that the Trump Admin is lifting sanctions on Oleg Deripaska and announcing an end to the war in Syria so abruptly on the same day? (BTW, what DID Trump talk with Putin about during their talks with no US translators?) @ me w/ thoughts.

— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) December 19, 2018

Deripaska is now back on the invite list for Davos next month, where Mnuchin, Trump, etc will all be. Last year, he threw what seemed like the craziest party at the WEF, including literal buckets of caviar and a performance by Enrique Iglesias. https://t.co/E56B9KP10Z

— Ishaan Tharoor (@ishaantharoor) December 19, 2018

NEW today: One of the 7 shareholders of Deripaska's multi-billion dollar En+ in Cyprus is the exact same woman that owned part of IC Expert with whom Trump signed the deal to build Trump Tower Moscow. pic.twitter.com/F6dO33uWSd

— Scott Stedman (@ScottMStedman) December 20, 2018

Oh, Trump is lifting sanctions for the oligarch Manaford ripped off? Trump mighta saved Manaford $20m and his life. https://t.co/t5gF3YJgqB

— Kerry Glover (@TheRealKerryG) December 20, 2018

Maybe Trump will pardon Manafort today, just to complete the Syria-Deripaska trifecta.

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) December 19, 2018

It's just like a political party, only more like a personality culthttps://t.co/lPwskIxsow

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) December 19, 2018

A turning point for Brexit? @AmberRuddHR becomes the first Cabinet Minister to suggest there is a route to a second referendum. Watch the full interview tonight at 10.45pm @ITV #Peston pic.twitter.com/oCJ1AhYyCV

— Peston (@itvpeston) December 19, 2018

I know I'm going on about this, but I'm confused and disturbed at the fact this kind of behaviour continues to be tolerated.

It's exactly the kind of menace and rhetoric that ended with the death of a sitting MP. pic.twitter.com/LlhB5BhVu2

— Mike Stuchbery💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) December 19, 2018

If more people had the courage and clarity of @NicolaSturgeon on the issue of immigration, the country would not be in this utter #Brexit shambles to start with. Whatever my politics, whatever caveats, whatever subjects I disagree with her on, this is what leadership looks like. pic.twitter.com/OEvSJRv2rJ

— Alex Andreou (@sturdyAlex) December 19, 2018

Interesting timing…
BBC News – Brexit: NI Affairs Committee to open Irish backstop inquiry https://t.co/bhSnHyPjFn

— Seamus Leheny (@Freight_NI) December 19, 2018

Tánaiste: "We have accelerated our planning for a no-deal Brexit." | https://t.co/vfblai9st5 pic.twitter.com/WRAt9M2eJQ

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 19, 2018

"Stupid woman" or "stupid people"?

Tory MPs call on Jeremy Corbyn to apologise over #PMQs remark, but he denies the jibe https://t.co/I07WmA3D4c [Tap to expand] pic.twitter.com/vjfYXXEKVv

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 19, 2018

BBC News – Gatwick Airport: Drone sightings halt flights https://t.co/jHbHBsoRnV

— Kel (@ThoughtsOfKel) December 20, 2018

SF Twitter what the heck just fell out of the sky pic.twitter.com/MLjDLwMlaE

— amee (@ameeko) December 20, 2018

Drug giant McKesson, 6th largest U.S. company, shipped more than 3 million opioids to West Virginia town of 400 residents in just 10 months. Shipments were categorized as "reasonable" under the distributor's drug monitoring program https://t.co/vFjQAktyVD

— Eric W. Eyre (@EricEyre) December 20, 2018

More journalists were killed, abused and subjected to violence in 2018 than in any other year on record, with those in the profession facing an "unprecedented level of hostility," a new report has found https://t.co/3JVjYWv0Sp

— CNN (@CNN) December 20, 2018

George Soros, billionaire philanthropist and standard bearer of liberal democracy, is the FT’s Person of the Year https://t.co/MlYhxPX8GM via @financialtimes

— Lionel Barber (@lionelbarber) December 19, 2018

This is the most thorough reporting I’ve seen in months. https://t.co/GHV7nKAqsy

— jinglematters (@crudematters) December 19, 2018