WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama on Thursday called leaders of France, Britain and Italy on the situation in Libya, the White House said.

Obama made separate phone calls to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in which he continued consultations on the situation in the unrest-hit North African nation and coordinated their "urgent efforts to respond to developments," the White House said in a statement.

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When calling the leaders, Obama briefed them on the measures that the United States is going to take in the face of the latest developments in Libya.

US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Thursday that the United States is pondering on imposing economic sanctions against the Libyan government as well as other multi-lateral actions.

On late Thursday, European Union defense ministers started an unofficial meeting in Budapest where they would exchange views on the evacuation of EU citizens from Libya, the possible refugee crisis, and providing humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who was on a visit to Kiev, said Thursday that "NATO has no plan to interfere into the situation in Libya."

The alliance has not received any requests in the case, Rasmussen said.

Libyan protesters took to the streets last week in a bid to put an end to the 41-year rule of Muammar Gaddafi, plunging the nation into unrest.