Kerry Says He Won’t Vouch for Success of Syria Ceasefire

Secretary of State John Kerry told lawmakers he won’t vouch for the success of the newly struck cease-fire agreement in Syria but said the truce negotiated with Russia is the best pathway for ending five years of violence that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced another 11 million from their homes.

Secretary of State John Kerry testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 23, 2016, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing of the State Department's fiscal 2017 budget request. AP Photo/Susan Walsh

WASHINGTON—Secretary of State John Kerry told lawmakers he won’t vouch for the success of the newly struck ceasefire agreement in Syria but said the truce negotiated with Russia is the best pathway for ending five years of violence that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced another 11 million from their homes.

“I’m not going to say this process is sure to work because I don’t know,” Kerry said Tuesday during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

I'm not going to say this process is sure to work because I don't know.

— John Kerry, secretary of state, U.S.