WASHINGTON/ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he did not mind Russia helping Syria in a conflict with NATO ally Turkey and rejected criticism of his withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria that exposed Kurdish allies, calling it "strategically brilliant."

In a day of fast-moving events, Trump endured harsh criticism for the withdrawal and lashed out at U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, calling her a "third-rate" politician during a tense White House meeting after which she accused him of having a "meltdown."