One side can sit down at negotiations and appear ready and willing to talk, even if they have absolutely no intention of actually making any form of compromise...
Why?
Well it buys time, it gives you a chance for events to move on (world recession, collapse of the Euro) so you are no longer a high priority in world events, possibly in this case until US electioneering issues ties Obama's hands. It also buys you world opinion, after all, you aren't "being difficult", you are trying to be co-operative as best you can, you're the little downtrodden guy in all this....
It can be nothing more than another stratagem or ploy.....
