On Saturday, China and Russia vetoed a proposed UN Security Council resolution backed by the League of Arab Nations that would have imposed further sanctions on Syria and called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. The two permanent members of the Council were the only two no votes versus 13 yes votes, but only one permanent member has to vote against a resolution for it to fail.

Despite attempts by backers of the resolution to win Russian and Chinese support, ambassadors for the two nations said that they considered the proposal too one-sided against the Syrian regime and did not try to seek a compromise solution to the conflict. The Chinese ambassador said the resolution as proposed did not guarantee the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria — a concern both China and Russia have stressed after a similar resolution on Libya last year was used as grounds for NATO intervention there in support rebels fighting Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhaffi.

Following the vote UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a statement expressing disappointment in the result. He said it “undermines the role of the United Nations and the international community in this period when the Syrian authorities must hear a unified voice calling for an immediate end to its violence against the Syrian people.”

“For months this Council has been held hostage by a couple of members,” said U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice. “These members stand behind empty arguments and individual interests while delaying and seeking to strip bare any text that would pressure Asad to change his actions. This intransigence is even more shameful when you consider that at least one of these members [Russia] continues to deliver weapons to Asad.”

Meanwhile, conditions continue to deteriorate inside Syria. Syrian forces are shelling Homs, the nation’s the third-largest city, with reports that more than 300 civilians have been killed since Friday. On Monday, the United States announced it was closing its Syrian embassy due to concerns over the safety of the diplomatic staff. In addition, France, Spain, Britain, Belgium, Italy, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman) have recalled their ambassadors.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to Damascus on Tuesday, where he received a hero’s welcome from supporters of the Assad regime. He pledged to assist in negotiations between the Syrian government and the rebels.