MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Sunday, Hollande expressed doubts that a meeting with Putin which was scheduled for October 19 in Paris would be useful. The Kremlin announced earlier Tuesday that the Russian president would not be visiting Paris, citing some of the events "dropping out" of the program.
"I am convinced that we have profound need for dialogue with Russia. However, this dialogue must be both firm and honest otherwise it’s pointless, it’s a sham. This is why I would like to reiterate my willingness to meet president Putin whenever he deems necessary," Hollande said at the Council of Europe.
The French leader stressed that he and Putin had a duty to promote peace in Syria.
