Russian President Vladimir Putin and his satrap, Bashar al Assad, want to hold peace talks in Sochi with a view to ending the fighting in Syria.  At least 40 groups in the al Assad opposition demur and are refusing Putin’s attempt.

“We reject this, and we affirm that Russia is an aggressor that has committed war crimes against Syrians,” the statement signed by 40 rebel groups said. “Russia has not contributed with a single move to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and it has not pressured the regime it claims it guarantees to move an inch toward any real path toward a resolution.”

These groups would rather continue the UN’s efforts to mediate, even though the UN has been useless futile since its mediation attempt began in 2014.

My suggestion: don’t go running off to the comfort of a resort town as many as 800 miles away from the theater. Putin and his satrap should offer to hold the talks in Idlib or Kobane or Ghouta.  Ghouta even is convenient to al Assad’s capital.

So should the UN’s “negotiators,” come to that, prove they’re serious.