(CNN) -- Russia opposes U.S. and European leaders' calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign, Interfax news agency reported Friday, saying that the leader should get more time to implement reforms. The move by Russia counters efforts by leaders ratcheting up international pressure against a regime criticized for its brutal crackdown against protesters calling for reforms and the ouster of al-Assad. "We do not support such calls, and we think that President al-Assad should be given time today to implement all of the declared reform processes," a Russian Foreign Ministry official told the nation's Interfax news agency. The White House has previously said al-Assad had "lost legitimacy," but resisted calling explicitly for his ouster until now.
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"We do not support such calls," a Russian Foreign Ministry official says
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Russia wants the Syrian president to have time to implement reforms
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It is encouraged by al-Assad's statement that military operations have stopped
The Foreign Ministry official, according to Interfax, said @placeholder has taken steps to implement a number of reforms, such as the adoption of "appropriate laws," the announced amnesty for political prisoners and readiness to hold general elections before the end of the year.