Sec. John Kerry seeks Europe's backing for action against Syria

Attempting to build support for action against Syria

Attempting to build support for action against Syria

(CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday sought Europe's support for military action in Syria after the Group of 20 summit ended with a stalemate between Washington and Russia on the issue.

U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, spoke on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg summit Friday. But despite both saying the talks were constructive, there was no sign of consensus.

The United States believes the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its own people last month in an attack outside Damascus that killed hundreds, and that military action must be taken in response. The Syrian regime blames opposition fighters for the attack.

Kerry discussed the options on Syria with more than a dozen European foreign ministers, including the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, in Lithuania on Saturday.

Ashton told reporters after the meeting that a "clear and strong response" to the chemical weapons attack that took place in Syria last month is crucial to show there cannot be impunity for such actions.

She said the EU ministers were unanimous in condemning the attack "in the strongest terms" and that there is "strong evidence" the Syrian regime was responsible.

But when questioned by reporters, Ashton stopped short of saying whether the European Union would back possible military action by the United States.

The European Union urges the United Nations Security Council to "fulfill its responsibilities" and to unite behind efforts to prevent any further chemical attack in Syria, Ashton said.

She said the European Union was keen to see the results of testing by U.N. chemical weapons inspectors at the scene of the attack and that the need for a political resolution to the crisis was "now more urgent than ever."

Kerry will travel next to Paris to consult with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

France is the only nation so far to commit to military action against Syria alongside the United States.

The talks will include "a fairly detailed discussion" of U.S. thinking on potential military action against Syria, senior State Department officials said -- but the ministers will also discuss how to resolve the situation politically.

Kerry will also meet Sunday with Arab League diplomats in Paris. Those talks initially were to focus on the latest Middle East peace initiative but Syria is also now expected to be on the agenda, the officials told reporters.

The U.S. side will talk to the Arab foreign ministers "about things where they may be helpful, and again, also building support within the international community for a response from the international community," the officials said.

The secretary of state will then head to London for talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Kerry will also meet with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague in London. Britain's Parliament has ruled out getting militarily involved in Syria but Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to continue to push for a tough response against the Assad regime.

Leaders split over response

International opinion remains divided on what should be done after the Syrian government allegedly used chemical weapons against its own people last month.

A statement issued Friday by a bare majority of the G20 -- 11 of its 20 members -- said that "the evidence clearly points to the Syrian government being responsible for the attack, which is part of a pattern of chemical weapons use by the regime."

"Those who perpetrated these crimes must be held accountable," it said.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also signed on to the statement Saturday.

Obama described his exchange with Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Russia as "candid" -- but acknowledged that the Russian president was unlikely to support his call for military action against Syria.

Putin gave reporters a similar account, adding, "He doesn't agree with me, I don't agree with him, but we listened to each other."

Both leaders said they could work together to seek a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

The two men hold opposing views over whether military action should be taken against the Syrian government.

Obama said the world must act to uphold an international ban on chemical weapons use. But, he said, any military action will be limited in both time and scope, with the intention of degrading Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's capacity to use chemical weapons in the future.

Putin repeated the Syrian government's accusation that "militants" used chemical weapons in a bid to get aid and support from "those countries who support them."

He told reporters that Moscow will continue to provide Syria with arms and humanitarian aid. Russia, along with China, has so far opposed military intervention in Syria at the U.N. Security Council.

Obama will now seek to rally Congressional support for possible U.S. military action against Syria, with a vote expected after lawmakers reconvene from recess on Monday.

The president said he would address Americans on the crisis in Syria on Tuesday.

Obama said Friday that he had expected skepticism from the public and from lawmakers, and that he had anticipated it would be "a heavy lift" to win approval for military action from Congress.