On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the Eastern Economic Forum that Assad is willing to hold snap parliamentary election and share power with the “healthy opposition.”
“Russia is an ally of the [Syrian] regime, but this does not mean that Russia will support Bashar Assad forever. We will have a discussion on this subject. What Russia wants is to also find a solution [to the end of the Syrian crisis],” Hollande said at a press conference in the French capital.
Russia has been engaged in international efforts to find a political solution to the ongoing conflict in Syria, as well as providing humanitarian aid to the people of the conflict-torn country. In August, Syrian President Bashar Assad said that he highly appreciated Russia's assistance, and was sure Moscow had proved its firm position in supporting Damascus.
