Makes great sense.

www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/opinion/putin...ewanted=all&_r=0

I read this too.

Its another one of those situations where the 'engagement' of individuals is key.....The letter suprised me that it had come from Putin, and that it made diplomatic, political and historic sense........so why has the sentiment and the mechanics of this taken so long?

He clearly states he is not protecting Syria - first time we'd heard that in the west?
He puts the UN security council into historical and UN constitutional context - why are the debates and outcomes of debates not really published, we only ever get the vote of the resolution or the news of a veto, that isn't good reporting, we don't get fed the facts from the debate, we get lead to assume that national interests are always the cause, so Russia would veto wouldn't they? The west has that angle wrong

If Putin believes what he has written, if he is true to what he says, he'll now try to engage the USA, start to lead the peace talks and act as a leading mediator to back up his statements.......

I hope he does, it can only be positive, so come on Vlad, keep extending the warmer and cleverly polical diplomacy side of your job and stop coming across as the hunting shooting alpha male in the power game......is Putin softening in his old age? Hope so

Mr Reason wrote:
If Putin believes what he has written, if he is true to what he says, he'll now try to engage the USA, start to lead the peace talks and act as a leading mediator to back up his statements.......

This is the man who denies the attacks came from Assad (despite all the evidence), and props-up the claims of Assad (without a shred of evidence).

He is getting very worried ... When Assad falls he will lose his ONLY Middle East ally (and also the ONLY port that the Russians can use in the Mediterranean).

In The Know wrote:
Mr Reason wrote:
If Putin believes what he has written, if he is true to what he says, he'll now try to engage the USA, start to lead the peace talks and act as a leading mediator to back up his statements.......

This is the man who denies the attacks came from Assad (despite all the evidence), and props-up the claims of Assad (without a shred of evidence).

He is getting very worried ... When Assad falls he will lose his ONLY Middle East ally (and also the ONLY port that the Russians can use in the Mediterranean).

Evidence?