Vladimir Putin needs to apply decisive pressure on Bashar al-Assad at Geneva, says leading member of Syrian oppositionRussia has been urged by the Syrian opposition to salvage the UN’s peace talks in Geneva this week by persuading the Syrian government delegation finally to begin direct face-to-face discussions. Basma Kodami, a leading member of the Syrian opposition negotiating team, urged the Russians to show they wanted to capitalise on the end of military operations in Syria by building a lasting peace. The opposition was not seeking President Bashar al-Assad’s removal from office as a precondition for talks, she said, but his departure remained its objective. Kodami said she believed Russia was putting pressure on the Syrian government delegation to negotiate seriously at Geneva in what is the eighth round of painfully slow talks. Many western diplomats are sceptical that Putin is willing to put pressure on Assad to start serious talks.

Source: The Guardian December 12, 2017 05:00 UTC