As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to escalate, the United Nations’ top court ordered Moscow on Wednesday (March 16) to immediately halt its “military operations” in Ukraine.
The decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) comes as Russia has intensified shelling and airstrikes on Ukrainian cities with its forces in place around major cities including the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
“The court is profoundly concerned about the use of force by the Russian Federation which raises very serious issues in international law,” pending the final decision in the case, presiding judge Joan Donoghue said at the hearing held at the court’s headquarters at the Peace Palace building.
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The top UN court for disputes between states said that it was “profoundly concerned” by Russia’s use of force. “The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on Feb 24, 2022 on the territory of Ukraine,” the ICJ judges said in a 13-2 decision.
Among other judges who voted against Russia, India’s judge at the ICJ, Justice Dalveer Bhandari, also voted. The nomination of Justice Bhandari to the ICJ was done on the support of the government and various missions over a period of time.
Justice Bhandari’s vote against Russia does not represent India’s stance on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. It is an independent move.
At every stage, India vouched for diplomatic dialogues to resolve the issue and abstained from voting on the Ukraine-Russia issue in the UN.
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On the other hand, Kyiv hailed the verdict as a “complete victory” saying it will continue to pursue the case “until Ukrainian people can go back to normal life”.
Although it is important to note that the rulings of the ICJ are binding, it has no direct means of enforcing them. There have been cases in the past, that countries have ignored them.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday welcomed the ruling by the ICJ on emergency measures as “a complete victory” in its case against Russia.
“The (ICJ) order is binding under international law. Russia must comply immediately. Ignoring the order will isolate Russia even further,” Zelensky said on Twitter.
WATCH | World court orders Russia to immediately halt invasion of Ukraine
