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Luxembourg • European Union nations on Monday criticized Russia's military intervention in Syria, with the bloc's top diplomat calling it a worrying "game changer." But E.U. countries maintained Russia's efforts wouldn't keep President Bashar Assad in power.

E.U. foreign ministers warned Moscow to center its military actions in Syria on the Islamic State and not go after the moderate opposition at the same time.

"It has to be coordinated" among the U.S., the E.U. and Russia, E.U. foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini said of the attacks in Syria.

Russian airstrikes have backed moves by Syrian troops against insurgents in the center of the country, and President Vladimir Putin has said Russian efforts would help reach a political settlement.

E.U. ministers said in a statement that "this military escalation risks prolonging the conflict, undermining a political process, aggravating the humanitarian situation and increasing radicalization."

Harlem Desir, France's Europe minister, said that Assad couldn't be part of a solution to the civil war and the conclusions of the E.U. ministerial meeting said that "There cannot be a lasting peace in Syria under the present leadership."

"There will be no peace in Syria if Bashar Assad, who is responsible for most victims of this civil war, can stay," Desir said.

Britain agreed.

"We are very clear that we cannot work with Assad as the long-term solution for the future of Syria," E.U. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said.

"We can be flexible about the manner of his departure. We can be flexible about the timing of his departure, but if we try to work with Assad, we will only drive the opposition into the arms of [Islamic State] — the very opposite of the outcome that we want."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier acknowledged that "the position and importance of individual actors has changed. With Russia's involvement, much has changed."

"There is no question that the efforts to arrive at a political solution have become more difficult and more complex," he said.