Even as all sides - including the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and select rebel groups - pretend to be working towards a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution to the five year conflict in Syria, actions speak louder than words, and to put it as succinctly as possible, everyone is still fighting.

In fact, the fighting is more intense than ever. Russia and Hezbollah are closing in on Aleppo, the country's largest city and a key urban center where rebels are dug in for what amounts to a last stand. If the city is liberated by the government (and yes, "liberated" is more accurate than "falls" because occupied territory belongs to the Syrian government, not to Sunni extremists), Assad will have regained control of the country's backbone in the west.