Members of the United Nations Security Council holding an emergency meeting at U.N. headquarters, April 5, 2017 in New York City | Drew Angerer/Getty Images Europe rallies behind US over Syria air strikes The strike was a response to the deadly chemical attack in Idlib province earlier this week.

European leaders offered varying levels of support to Thursday's U.S. missile strikes on Syrian government forces, as Russia called for an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting over what it called “a clear act of aggression."

Reactions from European Union governments and their neighbors ranged from tepid expressions of "comprehension" to outright embrace.

The United Kingdom was informed in advance of the attack and provided immediate backing. British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said in an interview with ITV's Good Morning Britain: “We are backing it. We fully support this strike.”

The U.K.'s former chancellor George Osborne on Twitter praised U.S. President Donald Trump for enforcing the West's "100-year-old” red line against the use of chemical weapons, and condemned a 2013 House of Commons vote against strikes on Syria that contributed to ex-U.S. president Barack Obama’s decision not to respond to a similar attack four years ago with a show of force.

After the strike early Friday, the Syrian army said six people had been killed and its airbase had sustained "extensive" damage, according to the BBC. This information has not been independently verified.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a statement that the use of chemical weapons "must be answered," and that the strike was an effort "to deter further [chemical] attacks." He also said he had received assurances from the U.S. that the strikes "were limited."

Germany and France issued a joint statement mid-morning, which did not mention the U.S. strikes, but condemned Tuesday's chemical attack against Syrian civilians and urged a United Nations reaction.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a later statement that the U.S.'s decision to conduct the air strike was "comprehensible," especially given the "failure" of the U.N. Security Council to respond to the chemical attack.

French media reported Friday that President François Hollande would hold a defense council meeting later in the day. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told France Info that Russian and Iranian support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was "despicable" and did not make "any sense." He also said that Assad "must be tried as a war criminal."

Le président @fhollande & la Chancelière allemande se sont entretenus au téléphone ce matin sur la situation en #Syrie. Lire le communiqué : pic.twitter.com/FKylxSFDEr — Élysée (@Elysee) April 7, 2017

Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said his country "understands the reasons of a U.S. military action ... as a response to an unacceptable sense of impunity and as a signal of deterrence towards the risks of further uses of chemical weapons by Assad."

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said the U.S. intervention was “a big warning” to Assad’s regime. “He [Assad] should know that he can’t get away with using chemical weapons.”

“The U.S. gave a clear warning that using chemical weapons means crossing a line. Considering the current circumstances, we think this is a proportional response."

Taavi Rõivas, a former Estonian prime minister and current vice president of the Estonian parliament, also backed the U.S., slamming as "ridiculous" attempts by Russia to "shift attention" away from the subject.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the Syrian regime "bears the full responsibility" for the strike, and the use of chemical weapons "cannot go unanswered."

Tomas Valasek, who last week left his role as Slovakia's ambassador to NATO, expressed welcome surprise at the Trump administration's decision.

Some political figures condemned the attack, including MEP and UKIP leader Paul Nuttall, who said the move was “rash, trigger-happy, nonsensical.” Matteo Salvini, leader of of Italy's Northern League, wrote on Facebook the strikes were a “very bad idea, big mistake and a gift to ISIS.”

Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen told France 2: "Is it too much to ask to wait for the results from an international independent inquiry before this kind of strike?" She added she was "surprised" by Trump's actions, because he had indicated the U.S. would no longer be the world's army, "and that's exactly what he did yesterday."

U.K. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the strike "risks escalating the war in Syria further." He warned that "unilateral military action ... risks risks intensifying a multi-sided conflict that has already killed hundreds of thousands of people." He recommended the British government "urge restraint" from the Trump administration and get behind peace talks.

The Israeli government and Hashim Thaçi, president of Kosovo, offered strong condemnation of the Assad regime and support for the strikes. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said he hoped the strikes helped "ensure peace." A spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called it a "positive response," and Turkey called for a no-fly zone to be imposed over Syria.

In both word and action, @POTUS sent a strong and clear message today that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated. — PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 7, 2017

I fully support @realDonaldTrump's action against Assad's murderous regime. He has to face justice and people or #Syria must be liberated. — Hashim Thaçi (@HashimThaciRKS) April 7, 2017