Conflicts & War

UN court orders Russia to end Ukraine invasion

The Hague, Mar 16 (EFE).- The United Nations International Court of Justice at the Hague on Wednesday ordered Russia to immediately end its military operations in Ukraine in a verdict that was welcomed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenksyy.

The court ruled with 13 votes to two to issue a provisional order demanding: “The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on 24 February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine.”

A second provisional measure extended the order to entities in receipt of Russia’s support or under its direction.

The panel of judges at the UN court unanimously backed a provisional order calling on both Russia and Ukraine to refrain from “action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve.”

The ruling, although largely symbolic, was welcomed by Kyiv.

“Ukraine gained a complete victory in its case against Russia at the International Court of Justice. The ICJ ordered to immediately stop the invasion,” a statement posted on Zelenskyy’s official Twitter page read.

“The order is binding under international law. Russia must comply immediately. Ignoring the order will isolate Russia even further.”

Ukraine filed the appeal at the Hague on February 26, two days after Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion, arguing that Russia had misinterpreted a UN convention on genocide prevention, given that Moscow justified its military assault by accusing Kyiv of committing genocide in the breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

dmu/jt/ks

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