Russia and the United States to Syria chasm separating how deep? From the recent Group of Eight summit in Northern Ireland photo says it all - two grim face leaders listlessly in their chairs, Obama biting his lips, Putin staring at the floor.
Embarrassing photo opportunity, which went viral on the Internet, highlighting the former Cold War enemies, who are also difficult to agree to a series of high-profile issues, including Syria and a fugitive, President Vladimir Putin refused to U.S. intelligence contractors increasing tensions between extradition.
Washington and Moscow have been trying since May hold an international peace conference to end the violence. But I hope that such a meeting would soon - if at all - is rapidly fading.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was originally announced that they will try to hold a meeting that it intends to put the rebels and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad government representatives negotiating table May end.
But the specific date constantly slipping. First, it was bumped to June and July. Earlier this week, the United Nations Arab League peace mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, who was in Geneva with senior U.S. and Russian officials held talks ruled out before a peace conference in August.
Diplomats at the United Nations in New York, said it is unclear whether the peace conference at all.
"It's not looking too good," a senior Western diplomat said.
The meeting point is in Geneva last year revitalization plan. At that time, Washington and Moscow need a transitional Syrian government agreed, but the open question whether Assad can participate in the process.
Like the United States, Syrian rebels said that Assad and his family should not play a role in the transitional government, but Russia said the talks should be no conditions.
Kerry and Lavrov will discuss Syria again next week on the sidelines of a conference in Brunei Association of Southeast Asian countries, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
Assad will not relinquish power
There are other sticking point in discussing how to make the United Nations, diplomats have been called "Geneva 2" all over the place - they will represent the Assad government and the Syrian opposition at the negotiating table. Potential negotiations lineup has not yet reached. Then there is the other key ally of Assad Iran should participate, Russia hope, but Western governments do not like the question.
Recently, Assad's forces had been some military successes. They recaptured two towns near the border with Lebanon, and the rebels complain lack of weapons and ammunition.
The diplomat said Assad's government and the opposition parties to be more reluctant to seek a compromise and diplomacy in Geneva - Assad, because he thinks he can win the war militarily, and the opposition, because it does not To be at a disadvantage in negotiating and holding out more weapons.
Assad, Foreign Minister Walid Moualem said a news conference earlier this week that the authorities are ready to form a broad-based government of national unity. But he made it clear that they do not intend to give up control of Syria.
"We go to the other side of the transfer of power in Geneva," he said. "" Who's the other side of the imagination, I would advise them not to go to Geneva. "
Some diplomats said that serious peace conference emphasized that the United Nations and Brahimi low tide, a few months later, like his predecessor, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has threatened to quit impotence.
Annan quit his job last year, out of frustration in Russia, Assad's main arms supplier, and the United States, which supports the rebels and the recently announced that it will begin providing weapons dispute between the way, has left the Council state of paralysis on Syria.
Not long ago, Russia and China veto sanctions against Syria and rejected the West and the Gulf Arab states to support the resolution condemning the Assad government is increasingly sectarian war, the United Nations says has killed more than 90,000.
The grim prospect of diplomatic
New York University's Richard Gowan forecasts, Kerry's peace conference program crashes Obama sending more and heavier weapons Syrian rebels will increase the pressure.
"If the proposal fails Geneva, there will be beyond its current offer for rebels light weapons, especially if Assad's army to win more victories on the U.S. pressure," McGowan said.
Kerry bet could backfire Geneva show, diplomacy really is a lost cause, but according to reports, Kerry, who advocated air strikes, possibly with the penalty, "he said."
Washington's prudent to begin a moderate Syrian armed rebels - Islamic militants in the conflict appear more and more - to the post, said Assad's forces used chemical weapons had crossed the "red line."
Syrian government denied the allegations and said the rebels use of chemical weapons. It also accused the West and the Gulf Arab governments armed opposition.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, now in his second and final term, increasingly concerned that he may be remembered, who is not in Syria, UN diplomats told Reuters reporters. Stepping on your own if you try to broker a peace agreement Brahimi defeat, he even considered envoys.
Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, who will soon take Obama's national security consultant, said earlier this week that the Council failed to take decisive action against Syria is a "moral and Strategic shame. "
"Repeated failure of the Security Council on Syria's key issues in a uniform, I think it is a stain on this body thing, I will always regret - even though I do not believe that the result is an American mobile products the United States," Rice said.
British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant endorses Rice's unusually strong, then it is clearly aimed at Russia and China. He also defended the United Nations organization itself recommended that the Council failed to take action against Syria in part responsible.
"People are talking about it is a stain on the United Nations, but you can not blame the UN," he said, adding that responsibility lies with member states.
"We have worked very hard over the past two years to secure some of the use of the Council in this crisis, as it unfolds," he said. "Unfortunately, we have three resolutions vetoed by the Russian and Chinese activities on the ground ... may commence very different, these resolutions were adopted."
March 2011 Security Council resolution authorized military intervention in Libya and NATO installation, protection of civilians, resulting in the hands of the rebels Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to step down and death gave the green light.
No Western countries called for something similar in Syria and Russia has vowed to prevent a similar move in Syria.
There may be no quick end to the war. Even if the opposition prevail, it is impossible to bring stability.
"The Syrian civil war may last for years," Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Haas said.
"It is not just that it proved to be difficult and longer to overthrow the Assad regime, rather than many people expected," he told Reuters reporters. "This is even if the regime is removed, what will follow will be a lengthy one who does not agree with, but they are all against the regime, in addition to fighting between opposition forces."
 



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