Russia snubs UN court hearings in case brought by Ukraine

Ukraine pleaded with the United Nations’ top court yesterday to order Russia to halt its devastating invasion, saying Moscow is already committing widespread war crimes and “resorting to tactics reminiscent of medieval siege warfare” in its 12-day-old military onslaught.

Russia snubbed the International Court of Justice hearings and its seats in the Great Hall of Justice remained empty.

On a lawn outside the court’s headquarters, the Peace Palace in The Hague, a protester placed colored candles spelling out the words: “Putin Come out.”

Ukrainian representative Anton Korynevych told judges at the International Court of Justice: “Russia must be stopped and the court has a role to play in stopping it.”

Ukraine has asked the court to order Russia to “immediately suspend the military operations” launched Feb. 24 “that have as their stated purpose and objective the prevention and punishment of a claimed genocide” in the separatist eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Lawyers for Kyiv dismissed the Russian claim.

“Ukraine comes to this court because of a grotesque lie and to seek protection from the devastating consequences of that lie,” David Zionts told the court. “The lie is the Russian Federation’s claim of genocide in Ukraine. The consequences are unprovoked aggression, cities under siege, civilians under fire, humanitarian catastrophe and refugees fleeing for their lives.”

A decision on Ukraine’s request is expected within days.

If the court were to order a halt to fighting as Ukraine requested, “I think the chance of that happening is zero,” said Terry Gill, a professor of military law at the University of Amsterdam. He noted that if a nation does not abide by the court’s order, judges could seek action from the United Nations Security Council, where Russia holds a veto.

The court’s president, American judge Joan E. Donoghue, said Russia’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Alexander Shulgin, informed judges that “his government did not intend to participate in the oral proceedings.” MDT/AP