A new round of talks between Syria's warring sides has dragged into a third day amid signs that Russia aims to play a greater role in trying to break the deadlock.
Representatives of President Bashar al-Assad's regime and the opposition National Coalition are holding face-to-face negotiations in Geneva, as they did on Tuesday, according to the UN.
UN-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi admitted after Tuesday's session that "we are not making much progress".
After attempting to discuss the issue of how to halt the violence Tuesday, he aimed to focus Wednesday's talks on the thorny topic of a transitional governing body, but there was no sign the regime would agree to address the issue.
It has repeatedly said President Bashar al-Assad's role is not up for discussion, while the opposition insists a transitional government must exclude him.
The regime's focus so far has been to make the talks about halting "terrorism" - its word for the rebellion seeking Assad's ouster.
The stubborn impasse prompted Brahimi to say after Tuesday's three-hour session that the process was proving as "laborious" as in the first round last month.
In a bid to push things along before the sides met, Brahimi early Wednesday met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov, who was later expected to speak with the regime delegation chief, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.
Gatilov told Russian media upon his arrival in Switzerland that Moscow was preparing a UN Security Council resolution condemning "terrorism" in Syria.
That came after ambassadors of the 15 UN Security Council members on Tuesday held informal talks in New York on a draft humanitarian resolution, adamantly opposed by Moscow, demanding the end of sieges in places such as Homs, where an evacuation of civilians resumed Wednesday.
A scheduled meeting in Geneva between Brahimi, Gatilov and US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman had meanwhile been advanced by a day to Thursday afternoon, the UN said.
The current round of talks, which kicked off with separate meetings Monday and is set to last until Friday, has seen the Syrian foes continue to trade blame over who is responsible for the violence wracking their country for nearly three years.
