Germany's Guido Westerwelle, arriving for talks with his European Union counterparts, said any talk of military intervention was "counterproductive."

"We need to avoid a large-scale fire" that would have "really disastrous consequences for the region, the people, and the world," he said.

Ahead of his visit Saturday to Syria, former UN chief Kofi Annan spoke out strongly against any foreign arming of the rebels, prompting Washington to echo his concerns about the dangers of further militarisation of the conflict.

Speaking to reporters as they flew in for two days of brain-storming on the shape of EU diplomacy in the future, several ministers said the international community must to stick to sanctions to pressure Damascus while simultaneously seeking humanitarian relief for civilians.

"The sanctions are having an impact on the Syrian regime," said Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal, while Westerwelle said he believed President Bashar al-Assad's regime was in an increasing "state of dissolution."

"We must be patient," said Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn. "We will unfortunately have to accept to see enormously more victims, but military intervention would be worse."

"It wouldn't be thousands but tens of thousands of dead."

While urging bolstered efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Syria's beleaguered population, Austria's Michael Spindelegger too cautioned against providing military backing for such aid.

"I think that we have to be very careful on that," he said.

Bringing food and medecine to people in lulls between the fighting would be "only possible if all sides agree to follow that."

"We are on a good path to arranging that," he added.

In a veiled call to Russia, Germany's Westerwelle said it was urgent for the UN Security Council to issue a clear message that "we are on the side of the people in Syria against the violence and the repression."

Asselborn said he believed Russia could sign on to a hmanitarian resolution "because a permanent member of the Security Council cannot allow this drama to continue."