According to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a CBS News interview that aired Sunday, the United States must eventually negotiate with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in order to remove him from power and bring the country’s bloody civil war to an end.

Calling it “one of the worst tragedies in any of us have seen on the face of the planet”, the former senator said that in order to get Assad to come to the table, increased pressure may be necessary.

As the conflict continues into its fifth year, the United States is motivated — more than ever before — to bring resolution to the violence and succeed in producing a negotiation where they’ve failed in the past.

In a press briefing Thursday, Kerry’s message was echoed by State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

“As we have long said, Assad must go and be replaced through a negotiated political transition that is representative of the Syrian people,” she said.

Assad’s regime is accused of war crimes and is believed to be responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.

CNN