Russia says Paris attacks have changed West's views on Syria's leader

The Paris attacks have helped the West understand that the priority in Syria is to fight Islamic State not to topple President Bashar al-Assad, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, according to Russian agencies.

Lavrov reiterated Moscow's position that there was no way to solve the Syria crisis peacefully without Assad, who he said represented the interests of a significant part of Syrian society.