France has failed to persuade its G8 partners to support its push for a no-fly zone over Libya.
France and Britain have led calls for an internationally enforced no-fly zone to slow the advance of Muammar Gaddafi's troops, who are using airpower and tanks to crush the uprising.
G8 foreign ministers made no mention of a no-fly zone over the North African nation in a communiqué concluding their talks.
The G8 communiqué stated that Libyans had the right to democracy and that Gaddafi faced 'dire consequences' if he ignored citizens' rights.
It urged the UN Security Council to increase pressure on him, including via economic measures.
The Libyan crisis dominated the first meeting of France's G8 presidency, but Germany and Russia blocked flight restrictions, leaving the group with a position that contained strong words but little substance.
'The Americans are moving towards the security council, the Russians want more detail on the no-fly zone and are cautious, but the Germans blocked it completely,' a G8 diplomatic source told Reuters after the talks.
'We are in a race against time between building a politically legitimate operation and taking action,' he added.
The stalemate echoed a lack of consensus over the issue at the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent veto-holding member and Germany a temporary member.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a call by the Arab League for a no-fly zone over Libya was short on detail and more information was needed on how it could work, given the Arab League's opposition to foreign military intervention.
'We are waiting for the Arab League to make specific proposals regarding that issue,' Mr Lavrov told a news conference at the end of the meeting.
'We need to have more specific information to see how our friends in the Arab League see that and once we have that we will consider all options,' he said.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said: 'We would now like further sanctions to be debated and agreed at the UN in New York.'
Gaddafi forces seize Brega and Ajdabiyah
Muammar Gaddafi's forces pushed eastwards towards Libyan rebels' stronghold of Benghazi today.
Gaddafi appeared at an evening rally in a huge tent in Tripoli, condemning the rebels as rats, dogs, hypocrites and traitors.
As he spoke, thousands gathered in a Benghazi square denouncing him and throwing shoes and other objects at his image projected upside down on a wall.
The rebels' eastern capital looked highly vulnerable after government troops took control of the junction at Ajdabiyah, opening the way to Benghazi.
‘The town of Ajdabiyah has been cleansed of mercenaries and terrorists linked to the al-Qaeda organisation,’ state TV said, referring to the rebels fighting to end Gaddafi's 41 years of absolute power.
The junction town of Ajdabiyah fell after a heavy bombardment by ground forces that sent civilians streaming down the road towards safer territory.
Earlier, government jets opened up with rocket fire on the checkpoint at the western entrance to Ajdabiyah this morning
They then unleashed an artillery bombardment on the position and a nearby arms dump.
Residents piled into cars and pickups to flee town on highways leading towards Benghazi or Tobruk, which are still in rebel hands.
Benghazi is a city with 670,000 people and the rebels' provisional National Council.
Libyan League for Human Rights chief Soliman Bouchuiguir said if Gaddafi attacked Benghazi, there would 'be a real bloodbath, a massacre like we saw in Rwanda.'
