French President Francois Hollande said he would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin in a meeting on Thursday to drop support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.
The position of Moscow was crucial in determining when peace could come to the country, Hollande said in an interview with Radio Echo Moskvy.
Hollande also said that, like Russia, he opposes a foreign military intervention in Syria.
He stressed that this was one reason why France was not sending weapons to help the rebels. "France keeps its word," Hollande said. "Europe has imposed an (arms) embargo."