Hollande presses Russia over Syria stance

French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday pressed Russia over its stance on the conflict in Syria and described the continued bloodshed there as “unacceptable and intolerable.”

The daily killings are creating “instability in the region that is detrimental to all,” Hollande said at a press conference with visiting Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki.

“The Russians must understand that they cannot be seen as the only ones or almost the only ones hindering the search for a solution,” he said.

Hollande’s remarks came after Russia vowed to veto a Western-backed UN Security Council resolution that threatens sanctions against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“We are more committed than ever to the adoption of the draft resolution,” a spokesman for the French foreign ministry said earlier in the day, playing down claims that the resolution could open the way to a military intervention in Syria.