Hollande: Russia’s intervention will not save Assad

French President Francois Hollande said yesterday that Russia’s military intervention in Syria will not save President Bashar Al-Assad, although he admitted that it may “bolster the regime”.

During a press conference after the summit in Brussels, Hollande expressed his regret that the Russian bombing does not contribute to the war on terror against Daesh.

He added: “Russia’s intervention from this point of view can bolster the regime but will not save Bashar… We must go as fast as possible to a political transition” in Syria.

“It is very clearly stated that Bashar cannot be the future,” he said, while some voices in the EU have called on him to join the negotiations for the political transition phase, four years after the beginning of the war which has resulted in the death of over 250,000 people.

Hollande also expressed the importance of stopping the bombing of civilians, especially by the Syrian regime.