(VOVworld) – Talks between western leaders are still ongoing, but a potential military intervention involving a joint air and naval attack on Syria could begin within a week, according to British government sources. The move followed last week's alleged use of chemical weapons on the outskirts of Damascus. On Monday, US President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had a phone conversation over the use of chemical weapons in Syria’s conflict. In a statement, the White House said that the two leaders expressed deep concerns about chemical weapons use in clashes between government and opposition forces in Syria. They also discussed possible reactions to the issue.

US destroyers are reported to get close to Syria (Photo: AFP/VNA)

US Secretary of State John Kerry declared on Monday that collected information including videos and field reports proved that the use of chemical weapons in Syria is undeniable. Kerry described the massacre of Syrian civilians especially women and children as an act of ‘moral obscenity’. White House’s press secretary Jay Carney said the Syrian government is almost surely behind the attack and President Obama is consulting the allies to make a final decision on how to respond. According to The Telegraph, British and American naval vessels are currently preparing for military action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia and the US differ on the use of chemical weapons in Syria (Photo: AFP/VNA)

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a phone conversation with British Prime Minister David Cameron that there is no evidence proving the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons against insurgent fighters. The two leaders reiterated commitment to abiding by an agreement G8 leaders reached in June under which none of the parties is allowed to use chemical weapons and the use of these weapons will be seriously punished by the international community.

In another development, a senior member of the Syrian National Council said a peace conference on Syria scheduled to be held in Geneva is no longer part of the organization’s plan following last week’s chemical weapons attack.