As talks open, Syrian opposition says Russia creating ‘new Hitler’

The main Syrian opposition umbrella group will “strive to join the political process” on ending the country’s civil war, a spokesman said Monday after receiving “positive messages” from the UN special envoy.

The comments came as Staffan de Mistura declared the start of the long-sought talks.

“We will strive to join the political process,” Salem al-Meslet said after a first formal meeting between de Mistura and the High Negotiations Committee in Geneva.

“We came here to discuss with the special envoy UN resolution 2254 lifting the sieges and stopping the crimes done by Russian air strikes in Syria, and I believe we received positive messages,” he said.

The opposition delegation has insisted it will not formally join peace talks until those humanitarian demands are met.

Meslet said the HNC was waiting to hear more from de Mistura after his meeting with the government delegation Tuesday.

He also accused the Russian government — a stalwart ally of the regime in Damascus — of helping to turn Syrian President Bashar Assad into a “new Hitler.”

“(The) Russian regime will create a new Hitler. We are suffering from a Hitler in Syria,” Meslet told journalists.

He could not comment on how long he expected the first round of talks to last, but said he hoped negotiations “achieve something” by February 11.

De Mistura said Monday that talks on ending the civil war had now officially started, but warned he expected the talks to be “complicated and difficult.”

“We are starting officially the Geneva talks… The discussions are starting,” de Mistura told reporters.

“We will meet the government tomorrow (Tuesday) and will invite the HNC (High Negotiations Committee) tomorrow afternoon to go deeper into the issues raised.”

The Swedish-Italian diplomat said despite the predicted hardships, Syria’s people deserved to “see something concrete, apart from a long, painful negotiation.”

He addressed reporters after wrapping up a preliminary meeting with the HNC, which arrived in Geneva on Saturday after days of deliberating whether they would attend.

“The first immediate objective is to make sure the talks continue and that everyone is on board,” de Mistura said.

The devastating war in Syria has ravaged the country for nearly five years, killing more than 260,000 people and forcing millions to flee their homes.