( CNN ) -- Facing growing global pressure over rising violence in his country , Syria 's embattled president had little choice but to accept a U.N. special envoy 's peace proposal , analysts said Tuesday . `` He has nothing to lose , and he has something to gain , and that is that he can potentially slow down the process of international isolation that is taking place , '' said Joshua Landis , an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma who writes a daily newsletter analyzing events in Syria . Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government `` understand that this is truly their last opportunity to hang on to power , '' said Murhaf Jouejati , a Syrian-born scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington . `` They can not mess any more with the international community , lest they create a unified front against them , '' Jouejati said . Nations watching Syria after it accepts peace plan . Timing was likely a key factor in the Syrian government 's response this week to special envoy Kofi Annan 's six-point plan , analysts said . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other global leaders are expected to discuss ways to assist the Syrian opposition at a `` Friends of Syria '' meeting in Istanbul Sunday . `` ( Al-Assad ) wants to slow that down , and by accepting this peace plan , it makes it difficult for Clinton to announce further measures while the United Nations is carrying out a negotiation , '' Landis said . Annan called Syria 's agreement `` an important initial step . '' But analysts cautioned that the next steps the Syrian government and members of the opposition will take are unclear -- and crucial in deciding the nation 's future . Annan 's six-point plan . Elliott Abrams , a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations , said Syria 's agreement to Annan 's plan is a `` fraud '' aimed at buying time . `` They can keep on negotiating and drag this out , because with every passing week they kill more dissidents . I think what the regime is hoping is they can crush all of this before anybody moves to help the opposition , '' he said . Russian officials , who met with Annan to discuss his plan over the weekend , likely encouraged Syria to sign on , Abrams said . `` The Russians have been talking about ending the violence , and it would be logical that they would advise Assad to talk a good game , and not to reject it , but rather to use it to gain more time , '' Abrams said . Along with China , Russia -- a long-time ally of al-Assad -- has vetoed recent United Nations resolutions to condemn al-Assad and his government 's crackdown on anti-government protests . `` What the Russians have done is signaled that , 'Look , you have one opportunity , you 'd better make it count . ' Because it 's not clear to anyone at the international level that the Russians and the Chinese are willing to press along with Assad indefinitely . '' said Aram Nerguizian , a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies . Some analysts said a key difference in Annan 's plan made it more palatable to the Syrian government : It does n't require al-Assad to leave office . `` Previous efforts have been to get President Assad to agree to step down and initiate some kind of transfer of power from him to revolutionaries . Kofi Annan , of course is not asking that , '' Landis said . `` He is turning to the Chinese and Russians and hoping to draw them in and just stop the fighting , with Assad staying in power . '' Nerguizian described Annan 's plan as `` fundamentally different in ways that signal a willingness to step back from the brink . '' In addition to allowing al-Assad to stay in power , Annan 's plan also criticizes both sides for the violence , Nerguizian said . But allowing al-Assad to stay in power is an option opposition leaders are n't likely to support , Jouejati said . `` Something that is more serious would be , perhaps , a political dialogue in which Assad accepts to step down in order to form a transitional government . ... This is like having a political dialogue with Stalin . How does one have a political dialogue with another party that has a gun to the head of a civilian population ? '' Jouejati said . The Syrian government `` is simply playing for time , '' said former U.S. ambassador to Syria Edward Djerejian . `` It will talk the talk of cooperation with the international community , but not walk the walk on the actual requirements that are necessary , such as really ceasing the use of lethal force against its own people in the streets of Syria , '' said Djerejian , director of Rice University 's James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy . But even if the Syrian government is just stalling for time , that does n't mean negotiations should stop , Nerguizian said . `` The reality is the alternative is to do nothing , and the alternative is to let a protracted crisis become a regional nightmare , '' he said . CNN 's Joe Sterling contributed to this report .
Analyst : Syrian president ` ` has nothing to lose , and he has something to gain '' Russia was likely a key factor in the response to Annan 's proposal , analysts say . Russian officials likely encouraged Syria to sign on to the police plan . Russia 's proposal does not require President al - Assad to leave Syria .