Hollande pledges to withdraw French troops from Afghanistan

May 18, 2012: President Barack Obama meets with French President Francois Hollande in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP)

WASHINGTON – French President Francois Hollande says he stands by his campaign pledge to withdraw his country's troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

But the newly sworn-in leader says France will keep supporting Afghanistan in a "different way." Hollande did not say what that would be.

Hollande spoke at the White House following his first meeting with President Barack Obama. The two leaders met before heading to the G-8 economic summit later Friday.

Hollande campaigned in France on a promise to pull that country's 3,300 troops out of Afghanistan ahead of schedule. But his comment following his meeting with Obama indicated a compromise could be likely to shift French troops away from combat roles but leave some French presence in Afghanistan.