What are the prospects for peace negotiations in Syria?

(Baonghean.vn) - Reuters reported on November 10th that Russia proposed a constitutional reform process in Syria within 18 months, followed by early presidential elections to end the conflict. However, Russia denied having put forward this plan. People are awaiting the international talks on the Syrian situation to take place in Vienna, Austria, on November 14th to see what the truth will be.

According to Reuters, the eight-point proposal drafted by Russia ahead of international talks in Vienna, Austria, on November 14 does not rule out the possibility of President Bashar al-Assad running for re-election.

At least 22 people were killed in clashes in the city of Latakia on November 10, 2015. Photo: BBC

According to the proposal, the reform process would not necessarily be led by Assad but could be led by a candidate agreed upon by all parties. However, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova immediately denied that any document was being prepared by Russia for the international talks on Syria being held in Vienna, Austria, this week.

According to Maria Zakharova, Moscow will focus on two main issues at the meeting in Vienna. "Firstly, establishing an organization and understanding who the terrorists are in Syria and the region. Secondly, compiling a list of Syrian opposition representatives who are capable of participating in negotiations with Damascus."

Following this development, observers believe that the West and Russia are "testing the waters" in the media ahead of negotiations in Vienna on the Syrian crisis. European countries, particularly the UK, reacted strongly when this proposal was revealed by Reuters.

Intense fighting is taking place in the Aleppo area. Photo: BBC

Speaking to reporters at the United Nations headquarters on November 10, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond questioned, "How can we bring peace to a country plagued by a protracted civil war that has claimed 250,000 to 300,000 lives without eliminating the root causes of the conflict?"

In fact, the Moscow government is intensifying its diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Syria. At the first round of talks in Vienna late last month, Russia expressed its desire for the opposition to participate in peace negotiations. However, British diplomats emphasized that only when Assad leaves can opposition groups be brought into the political process.

It is evident that the parties involved in the Syrian situation have disagreements on principle. Therefore, there is no guarantee that peace negotiations for Syria will soon yield positive results. Both the Syrian government forces, supported by Russia, and the opposition forces, backed by Western countries, are fighting against a common enemy: the ISIS terrorist group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad during a meeting at the Kremlin, Russia, on October 20, 2015. Photo: Reuters

Furthermore, increasing external intervention could complicate the situation in Syria. The US and Russia are two major powers competing to back opposing forces in Syria. The Syrian army recently broke a year-long siege by the Islamic State (IS) of its largest air base in northern Syria.

The US appears to be growing impatient with its ineffective airstrike campaigns and is considering new steps to avoid being outmatched by Russia's operations in Syria.

Earlier, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced that the Pentagon was ready to publicly consider the possibility of deploying more ground troops to Syria. These statements give the impression that the Obama administration is very eager to send ground troops into Syria.

Thu Ha