Washington no longer considers the resignation of President Bashar Assad to be a prerequisite for a resolution of the Syrian conflict, sources in the US government said.
"The Obama administration, entering a crucial round of international talks on Syria, is prepared to accept a deal that leaves President Bashar al-Assad in place for several months or more during the transition to a new government," Interfax cited an article in the Wall Street Journal as saying.
The US government previously insisted on the resignation of Assad, describing his government as illegitimate. Now they are planning to negotiate the question of his future in talks being held in Vienna today, the newspaper writes.
The Wall Street Journal believes that this approach reflects the new realities imposed on Syria by Russia and Iran, which have intensified military operations to support Assad, and recent challenges faced by the US-led coalition.
