Inside Story - Is the War in Syria Really Almost Over?

Bashar al Assad flew to Russia for a few hours to meet his major ally Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin said Russia’s President told him that the fight against armed groups is close to finishing. And once it's over, finding a peaceful political settlement will be key.

The opposition has long demanded a future Syria without Assad. But he’s survived nearly seven years of war and is likely to remain in charge for the foreseeable future. So, will Assad detractors come to terms with that?

Presenter: Laura Kyle | Guests: Marwan Kabalan - Director of Policy Analysis, Doha Institute; Pavel Felgenhaeur - Russian foreign policy specialist and newspaper columnist; Ammar Waqqaf - British Syrian Society