News / Interviews

Nothing to come out of US-Russia talks over Syria: Analyst

Monday, 05 September 2016 5:19 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 05 September 2016 5:19 PM ]

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, on September 5, 2016. (AFP photo)

Press TV has conducted an interview with James Jatras, a former US Senate foreign policy analyst, about American and Russian diplomats failing to reach an agreement on the conflict in Syria.

Here is a rough transcription of the interview:

Press TV: It seems that Obama, as cautious as he is, is still hopeful for some form of a settlement with Russia when it comes to Syria. Is that possible considering there are such fundamental differences between the two sides?

Jatras: It is not likely and frankly at this point I do not care what Mr. Obama hopes for. With any luck this would be the last time that Mr. Obama as President meets with Mr. Putin, nothing is likely to come out of it. I think this is just another mark of how failed his policy towards Syria has been.

The observers at the meeting described it as icy. It has been no more successful than repeated meetings between Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov. At the end of the day, there are still those fundamental differences that Washington still hopes to pull a rabbit out of its hat and get the Russians to agree that Assad must go and people in Washington are still trying to find some way to protect various terrorist groups in and around Aleppo that are connected to al-Qaeda and the Russians simply are not going to accept this.

Press TV: And is it prudent for Russia and the US to be coming up with some form of a political agreement without including Syria directly or the other players on the ground?

Jatras: I think in one sense we can say that Russia holds serious proxy and I think Damascus understands that Moscow is not going to make any agreement with the Americans or anybody else that results in regime change in Syria.

At the same time the Americans and the Russians do have to talk, even if nothing is likely to come out of it. I think the Russians are probably not naïve about this anymore that they have talked to the Obama administration over and over and over again and found the same unreasoning agenda that comes from these people.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk