US Secretary of State John Kerry admitted that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was making gains on the ground, but denied US policy in Syria was failing. "It's fair to say that Assad has improved his position a little bit, yes. But he's still not winning. This is a stalemate," Kerry told CNN television in an interview.
He was adamant, however, that America’s policy had not failed in the war-torn country, despite a mounting death toll in the three-year conflict. "The policy in Syria is just very challenging and very difficult," Kerry added.
Earlier this week, the State Department denied reports Kerry told US lawmakers in a private meeting that it was time to change strategy in Syria, where some 136,000 people have died and millions have fled their homes.