French President Francois Hollande on Saturday called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and urged him to refrain from resorting to force in neighbouring Ukraine. "He expressed his deep concern" following the Russian parliament's decision to authorise the use of force in Ukraine, where the pro-EU opposition ousted Putin's ally from power last month. Hollande "urged him to avoid resorting to force and to seek a resolution to the crisis with the international community," said a statement from the French presidency.