The conflict is a runoff of the Syrian Civil War and the fight against the terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The Golden Dawn, the sole political party of the federation, allegedly invited the group to train its militants on the island of Tilos in exchange for a large sum of money. The deal was released on Wikileaks through an unknown source. On 1 December 2015, the United States declared the federation a terrorist sponsor. The federation immediately severed relations with the US in response. Many European countries, including the United Kingdom and France followed and cut diplomatic ties with the federation.