![FILE PHOTO: People walk in a street during a media tour in Douma near Damascus, Syria April 23, 2018. REUTERS/ Ali Hashisho/File Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XMQ7ANUKHFXIL5CJEMM5LPW6ZQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=a6b24865d5231928fa02d73285a42a622219eec97fbeec3d09eac894b1e05a9b&width=400&height=225)
A destroyed street in Douma, near Damascus. Reuters
A destroyed street in Douma, near Damascus. Reuters
In Syrian peace talks, Assad will be unwilling to cede power when he has largely regained control
As the war enters its ninth winter, the urgency to end the country's agony has never been more crucial