Can the Syrian war be ended?

Almost three years after the beginning of the Arab spring, there are no signs of radical political change in Syria. Bashar al-Assad is still in office, the opposition is divided and prospects for external military intervention are receding.

So far, the Geneva-II talks offer little hope for a political breakthrough. The first objective should be to achieve a ceasefire, which will require the engagement of all parties, Assad included. This is the only way to guarantee both the start of a successful negotiation process and the possibility of moving beyond further bloodshed towards the day after.