Western powers and the Arab League have demanded immediate UN action to stop Syria's "killing machine", but Russia has refused to give its support.
The wrangling at the United Nations yesterday came as fierce clashes raged across Syria between President Bashar al-Assad's security forces and rebel fighters of the Free Syrian Army.
Activists said today the unrest had killed nearly 200 people in the past three days, including 28 civilians yesterday.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, backed by her French and British counterparts as well as Qatar's prime minister, led the charge for a tough UN resolution that would call on Mr Assad to end the bloodshed and hand over power.
"We all know that change is coming to Syria. Despite its ruthless tactics, the Assad regime's reign of terror will end," Mrs Clinton told the UN Security Council.
"The question for us is: how many more innocent civilians will die before this country is able to move forward?"
The United Nations says more than 5,400 people have been killed in Syria since the pro-democracy uprising began in March last year.
But UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said on 25 January her organisation had stopped compiling a death toll for Syria's crackdown on the protests because it is too difficult to get information.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani, speaking at the Security Council on behalf of the Arab League, said Mr Assad's regime had "failed to make any sincere effort" to end the crisis and believed the only solution was "to kill its own people".
"Bloodshed continued and the killing machine is still at work," he said.
But Russia, a longstanding ally of Mr Assad and one of the country’s top suppliers of weapons, declared that the UN body did not have the authority to impose such a resolution. China voiced support for Russia's position.
However, the tone of yesterday's debate was measured and Moscow's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said that the latest version of the resolution "gives rise for hope".
The key sticking point appeared to be the Arab League call for Mr Assad's speedy departure.
"Regime change is not our profession," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a trip to Australia.
The draft resolution calls for the formation of a unity government leading to "transparent and free elections".
It stresses that there will be no foreign military intervention in Syria as there was in Libya, helping to topple Muammar Gaddafi.
