Russia and China vetoed on Saturday, Feb 4, a Western-Arab UN Security Council resolution backing an Arab League call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step aside.

According to Reuters, the other 13 council members voted in favor of the resolution, which would have said that the council "fully supports" the Arab League plan.

Mohammed Loulichki, the UN ambassador of Morocco, the sole Arab member of the 15-nation council, voiced his "great regret and disappointment" that Moscow and Beijing joined forces to strike down the resolution.

French ambassador Gerard Araud told the council, "It is a sad day for this council, a sad day for all Syrians, and a sad day for democracy."

Diplomats said that China had been expected to follow Russia's lead. Russia's decision to vote against the resolution came after U.S. and European officials rejected a series of Russian amendments to the draft resolution.