Hollande: No Solution Possible without Assad Departure

French President Francois Hollande said Friday that no solution is possible in Syria without "the departure of Bashar Assad.”

He spoke at a press conference with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

"There must be sanctions" against the Syrian regime, Hollande added, noting that he recognized "the risks of destabilization, the risks of civil war" in Syria.

"Bashar Assad's regime has conducted itself in an unacceptable and intolerable manner. It has committed acts that disqualify itself" from governing, Hollande said.

He said Assad's departure was "a prerequisite for a political transition" in Syria.

Putin, who met separately with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Hollande, warned the situation in Syria was "extremely dangerous" and said he saw emerging signs of a civil war.

But he struck a fiery tone in the joint press conference with Hollande, saying "sanctions hardly ever work in an efficient manner" and indicating that Assad's departure would not in itself resolve the crisis.