China and Russia have blocked a resolution to refer the Syrian conflict to the International Criminal Court. Top U.N. officials have collected a list of figures to target for indictment on war crimes charges, mostly from the Syrian government. U.S. Ambassador the U.N. Samantha Power deplored Russia’s opposition.

Samantha Power: “My government applauds the vast majority of members of this council who voted to support and the some 64 countries who joined us in co-sponsoring this effort to refer these atrocities to the International Criminal Court. Sadly, because of the decision by the Russian Federation to back the Syrian regime, no matter what it does, the Syrian people will not see justice today. They will see crime, but not punishment.”

The United States agreed to back the resolution after ensuring Israel would not face prosecution related to its occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights, which it seized in 1967.