Where once there was hope for a Russo-American understanding to once and for all put an end to the Syrian crisis, now there is none.
We’re back to square one; ground zero, exactly where we started.
In just a week, the situation had deteriorated to the point that Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s prime minister, said that the relationship between Moscow and Washington had now gone back to the days of the Cold War.
Not so long ago, US President Donald Trump had shown positive readiness to cooperate with Russia to vanquish terrorism in Syria, even without the precondition of removing Bashar Assad and his regime.
Now, still lacking a comprehensive view of the situation in Syria, and incapable of providing an integrated solution, Washington has found itself in an open confrontation with Moscow. Particularly after the terrible Khan Sheikhoun incident and the US strike of the Syrian Shuairat airbase, having fallen under tremendous pressures by friends and allies, to take a firmer and more decisive stand towards the Syrian regime.
Overnight, tension skyrocketed. Reciprocated accusations between the two countries escalated, to the point of Russia actually threatening to step up to any military action by the US against the Syrian regime, despite the major perils which come with it.
More so, it does not seem that the visit of US Secretary of State, Rex W. Tillerson, to Moscow will help alleviate any of the growing tension. The Russians received Tillerson with a load of blazing statements which have lowered the expectancies of any further deliberations with the US Secretary.
Likely, if this escalation carries on between the two, US and the Russians, over the next few days, it would mean that any further negotiations in Geneva on the Syrian crisis will be postponed, and that the already frail ceasefire may very well be broken.
That said, no matter how much we disagree with the Russians, their position on Syria remains by far clearer than the discombobulated US stance. The ambiguity and myopia of Washington’s undecided stance is confusing to even their closes allies, including the European Union.
Until recently, the war on terror was the United States’ prime objective in Syria, and they were really prepping up for a major joint operation with their allies there to liberate Raqqa. But after the air strike, followed by all the show off, the US has lunged into an uncalculated adventure in regards to the political future of Syria after ISIS.
All these statements, all this talk on the fate of Syria’s President, and the US still has not a clear detailed plan as to what comes after Assad’s removal. Having not waited out the Geneva Talks, which was the first time an agreed foundation was ever laid on the organised interim in Syria, all the US has to say now, is that there will be fundamental changes to the Syrian political system, including Assad.
So far, this rising tension between Moscow and Washington is politically worthless. All it is doing is making it worse in reality, whilst draining the Geneva process of its momentum. If it stretches long enough, the political resolution in Syria will more and more farfetched and complicated.
After all is said and done, the two will realise, Russia and the US, that this escalation is indeed pointless, and that there is no other way by the Geneva way!
This article is an edited translation of the Arabic version, published by AlGhad.
