The US Republicans are expecting a congressional vote on military intervention in Syria within two weeks.

In a memo to members of the House of Representatives, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor wrote they should assume a "robust debate and vote."

Cantor has already voiced support for US President Barack Obama's plan for a "limited" strike on Syria, along with House Speaker John Boehner.

In other developments, US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to push for international support for military action during a four-day trip to Europe.

Kerry is to hold talks with EU foreign ministers in Lithuania on Saturday before going on to Paris to meet Arab League representatives. He will then travel to London for further talks with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Obama has returned meanwhile to the US from the G20 summit in St Petersburg, which failed to produce international agreement on military action in Syria.

Next week, he will try to persuade Congress to authorize military action in response to Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons.

Russia restated its opposition to any strike at the G20 summit. President Vladimir Putin warned that military intervention would destabilize the region.

At the G20 summit, a joint statement from the US and 10 other nations called for a strong international response against President Assad.

But while the UK, Canada and Turkey supported Obama's call for action, the only leaders at the G20 meeting to commit to force in Syria were the US and France.

Obama and Putin held a one-to-one meeting on Syria but failed to reach an agreement.

The US accuses Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces of killing 1 429 people in a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21.