Stalemate delays Syria talks

The UN strained to keep faltering Syrian peace tal-ks alive on Wednesday as Damascus tried to press home gains against rebels and its ally Russia said its airstrikes would go on until “terrorists” were defeated. UN envoy Staff-an de Mistura announced the formal start on Mon-day of the first attempt in two years to negotiate an end to a war that has killed 2,50,000 people, caused a refugee crisis in the region and Europe and empowered ISIS. But both Opposition and government representatives have since said talks have not in fact begun, and fighting on the ground has raged on without constraint.

Mr de Mistura acknowledged on Tuesday that a collapse of the Geneva tal-ks was always possible. “If there is a failure this time after we tried twice at conferences in Geneva, for Sy-ria there will be no more hope. We must absolutely try to ensure that there is no failure,” he said.

The Opposition cancelled a meeting with him on Tuesday afternoon, accusing Russia of putting the process at risk with an “unprecedented” bombing campaign on Aleppo and Homs. Rebels described the ongoing assault north of Aleppo as the most intense yet. The Syrian Opposition’s chief negotiator in Geneva said on Wednesday he was “not optimistic” about strained efforts to end the war. Mohammed Alloush, a leading member of the powerful Army of Islam rebel group, said that those pressing to form a unity government with regime members were “delusional”. “Whoever wants us to go into a unity government with these thugs who kill children is delusional,” he said.

Despite calls from the US and its allies for Moscow to stop the bombing during the peace process, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said his country had no intention of ending its campaign. “Russian strikes will not cease until we really defeat terrorist organisations like Jabhat al-Nusra. And I don’t see why these airstrikes should be stopped,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition said it will not negotiate unless the government stops bombarding civilian areas, lifts blockades on besieged towns and releases detainees. “The level of confidence between both sides is close to zero,” Mr de Mistura said.

The Opposition tentatively said it would resume meetings with Mr de Mistura on Wednesday. Its chief coordinator Riad Hijab,who diplomats say is a unifying figure for the fragmented Opposition, arrived in Geneva later on Wednesday for the talks.

Meanwhile, ahead of a conference of donor nations in London on Thursday, US President Barack Obama told British Prime Minister David Cameron that the US will soon make “significant new contributions” to support relief efforts in Syria and help in dealing with the crisis that has burdened Europe with a record number of refugees. In a telephonic conversation they discussed the Syrian crisis and the resultant need for steps to improve humanitarian access.