AFP - Germany and Russia agreed on the need for a political solution to end the Syrian bloodshed, their leaders said here Friday, as Vladimir Putin warned the country could be on the brink of civil war.

The Russian president said the situation in strife-wracked Syria was "extremely dangerous" but underlined his opposition to military intervention, after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the second leg of his first foreign tour since returning to the Kremlin.

Amid mounting pressure for Moscow to drop its resistance to tougher UN action on Syria, Putin, who was later due in Paris, warned at a joint press conference with Merkel: "You cannot do anything by force."

..."As far as arms supplies are concerned, Russia does not supply the weapons that could be used in a civil conflict," he said.