James Jeffrey: “Putin does not think that we will do hard things.”

We are the leaders, the beacon on the hill, you know, the shining light.

We would much prefer to pursue the positive agenda of deescalation and political reinvigoration I just described, but we are prepared to maintain our policy of pressure...

I have no moral hesitation in asking other countries to do more and the American public to do less.

A political solution is highly unlikely with a government acting the way the current Assad government acts.