America and Russia are back to talking about how to fix Syria

Syria negotiations resumed between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Saturday following the breakdown of a cease-fire deal the United States and Russia reached in early September.

Joining the conversation this time are foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, regional powers which — like the two major players — find themselves supporting opposite sides of Syria's civil war.

"We've asked countries to come, having done some thinking, about a realistic way forward given the differences represented in the room," said a U.S. State Department official, cautioning that expectations of a quick solution are not prudent: "This is going to be, as it has been now for several years, a very difficult process."

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