US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed Friday to end their bitter dispute over American plans for military action in Syria, as half of the G-20 called for a “strong” response to a chemical weapons attack blamed on the Assad regime.
The United States signalled it has “given up” on securing Moscow’s support at the UN on the crisis, as Mr Putin reiterated a warning that it would be “outside the law” to attack without the UN’s blessing.
“We spoke sitting down... It was a constructive, meaningful, cordial conversation,” Mr Putin said after his previously unscheduled talks with Mr Obama. “Each of us kept with our own opinion,” he said.
The split among leaders of the world’s top emerging and developed countries over the issue was symbolised in a statement supported by 11 G-20 nations calling for a “strong international response” to the chemical attack.