West 'ignored Russian offer in 2012 to have Syria's Assad step aside' | World news | The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/s ... step-aside

Sounds about right for the West. The Russians played a blinder anyway at that time.

This was a widely suspected move at the time. But it was seen as a busted play because Assad had no intention of stepping aside at all, and none of his opposition could countenance peace talks with him at the table. Furthermore, talks between Russia and the West would have excluded Iran making them pointless anyway.