Amid increased violence, the UN special envoy to Syria announced on Wednesday a temporary suspension of peace talks.
While each side placed blame on the other for the collapse of the current round of negotiations, Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy of the secretary-general for Syria, said there was "more work to be done", adding that the talks would resume no later than February 25.
Critics argue that the negotiations were doomed to fail from the start. But after almost five years of civil war, what options, if any, are available to bring an end to the violence? What brought these current talks to a halt? And what prospects are there for peace in the future?
In the UpFront Arena, Mehdi Hasan speaks to Bassam Barabandi, adviser to Riad Hijab, head of the Syrian High Negotiations Committee, and also a cofounder of People Demand Change, about what it will take to bring peace to the country.
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