The seventh round of Geneva political talks over Syria’s conflict open on Tuesday, against the background of a first US-Russia “de-escalation” agreement, claiming to bring a ceasefire to the southwest of the country.

But is the process likely to bring any progress towards a resolution or will it just be a cover for more attacks and the maintenance of Bashar al-Assad in power, despite his regime’s killing of hundreds of thousands of Syrians and displacement of millions?

See also Syria Daily, July 11: Pro-Assad Forces Break US-Russia Ceasefire, Then Attack in Southeast

I spoke with London’s Monocle 24 on Tuesday morning, assessing the bleak prospects with only the consolation of a de facto partition of Syria ahead.

Listen from 1:47: