In a conversation between Amb. Prof Itamar Rabinovich and Prof. Francois Heisbourg, Syria and its effects on the region, as well as Europe and the United States were discussed. Prof. Heisbourg acknowledged that Libya has become the new Syria, characterized by the high level of violence, as well as the connections between the two countries, particularly noting the presence of Syrian mercenaries in Libya. Heisbourg discussed the roles that NATO countries Greece and Turkey are playing in taking sides over undersea exploration and drilling rights in the Aegean Sea, with Greece siding with Israel and Egypt, while Turkey aligning with Qatar and the UN-recognized government in Tripoli. As for US involvement in Syria and President Trump’s wanting to remove US troops from Syria, Prof. Heisbourg agreed with Amb. Prof. Rabinovich in his assessment of Trump continuing Obama’s policy of wanting to leave the Middle East to its own devices. However, Heisbourg stated that Trump did not have any real fixed compass in the Middle East and was motivated by transactionalism.