Russia’s President Putin warns US over Syria action

He said any military strikes without UN approval would be "an aggression".

US President Barack Obama has called for punitive action in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack.

Putin said Russia did not rule out supporting a UN Security Council resolution authorising force, if it is proved "beyond doubt" that the Syrian government used chemical weapons.

Meanwhile in the US, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have agreed on a draft resolution backing the use of US military force.

The measure to be voted on next week sets a time limit of 60 days on any operation.

According to a copy of the draft resolution obtained by AFP news agency, the senators wish to restrict the operation to a "limited and tailored use of the United States Armed Forces against Syria", and bans the use of any ground forces.

The US has put the death toll from the alleged chemical attack on the outskirts of Damascus on 21 August at 1,429, including 426 children, though other countries and organisations have given lower figures.

Putin was speaking ahead of the G20 summit in St Petersburg, which opens on Thursday and is supposed to concentrate on the global economy, but now looks likely to be dominated by the Syrian crisis.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press and Russia's state Channel 1 television, Putin said it was "ludicrous'' that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Russia, would use chemical weapons at a time when it was gaining ground against the rebels.

"If there is evidence that chemical weapons were used, and by the regular army... then this evidence must be presented to the UN Security Council. And it must be convincing," Putin said.

But in what correspondents say is an apparent change in stance, he said Russia would "be ready to act in the most decisive and serious way" if there was clear proof of what weapons were used and who used them.

He confirmed that Russia had delivered some components of S-300 missile systems to Syria but deliveries had now been "suspended".

And Putin said it was "too early" to talk about what Russia would do if America took action without a UN resolution.