France is calling on European leaders to lift an arms embargo to allow for the supplying of weapons to Syrian rebels. Britain is joining France in lobbying against the embargo during a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels. French President François Hollande spoke on Thursday.

President François Hollande: “We want the Europeans to lift the embargo on the weapons. This does not mean that we want to go toward total war. We believe a political transition must be the solution for Syria. But since we have to put pressure on and show we are ready to support the opposition, we have to go that far. That is what I will tell my European colleagues.”