WASHINGTON — In a sign of potential US openness to explore working with Russia on trying to de-escalate the war in Syria, the Trump administration said it was sending a top diplomat to observe Russian-brokered Syria cease-fire talks to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, May 3-4.

The Trump administration is sending a senior Middle East envoy, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones, to the Astana talks instead of US Ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol, who had previously attended as an observer.

However, the US administration has doubts that the Russians can deliver the Bashar al-Assad regime on commitments it makes, said experts engaged with the US administration as it formulates its Syria policy. “It's high engagement from the US to test the Russians if they can deliver,” Bassam Barabandi, a former Syrian diplomat now with the Syrian opposition, told Al-Monitor, referring to the decision to send Jones.

The US administration wants to “see if the Russians can deliver, but that doesn’t mean they [Trump administration officials] have bought into the Astana process,” the Middle East Institute’s Randa Slim said.