The World Court Ordered Russia To Stop Hostilities In Ukraine

THE HAGUE, March 16 – The United Nations Supreme Court for State Disputes on Wednesday ordered Russia to immediately halt its military operations in Ukraine, saying it was “deeply concerned” by Moscow’s use of force.

Although the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are binding, it has no direct means to enforce them, and on rare occasions countries have ignored them in the past.

“The Russian Federation must immediately suspend the hostilities that it launched on February 24, 2022 on the territory of Ukraine,” decision MC 13-2 says.

They added that Russia must also ensure that other forces under its control or backed by Moscow do not continue the military operation.

Ukraine filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice shortly after the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, saying that Moscow’s claim that it acted to prevent genocide in eastern Ukraine was unfounded.

In addition to contesting the grounds for the invasion, Kyiv has also demanded emergency “temporary” measures against Russia to stop the violence before the case is considered in its entirety. These measures were granted on Wednesday.

This image, posted March 16, 2022, shows a residential building damaged by shelling during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine. State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS

GENOCIDE

During a hearing earlier this month, Ukraine said there was no threat of genocide in eastern Ukraine and that the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, which both countries signed, did not allow an invasion to prevent it. More

Ukrainian government forces have been fighting Russian-backed separatists in Donbass in eastern Ukraine since 2014. Kyiv and its Western allies reject Moscow’s claims of any genocide against the Russian-speaking population.

Russia said it skipped hearings at the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, “in light of the apparent absurdity of the lawsuit.” read more Later, a written application was submitted that the court should not impose any measures.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday hailed the ICJ decision on emergency measures as a “complete victory” in the case against Russia.

“The Order (MS) is binding under international law. Russia must comply immediately. Ignoring the order isolates Russia even more,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter.

Reading out Wednesday’s ruling, Presiding Judge Joan Donoghue said the court was “deeply concerned about the use of force by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, which raises very serious issues of international law.”

Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg, Marin Strauss, Natalia Zinets and Max Hander; Writing by Anthony Deutsch; Editing: Michael Perry, Jonathan Oatis and Gareth Jones

Our Standards: Trust Principles.