Backed by India, ICJ call on Russia to halt its bloody invasion of Ukraine

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has called on Russia to halt its brutal invasion of Ukraine. The court ruled by 13 votes to two in favour of the provisional order that "the Russian Federation shall immediately suspend military operations that it commenced on 24 February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine".

Indian judge Justice Dalveer Bhandari voted in favour of the motion alongside his western colleagues. New Delhi has so far refrained from condemning Russia's aggression in Ukraine to protect its relations with Moscow, despite Western pressure. 

New Delhi is reportedly considering purchasing discounted oil from Russia, a move which has sparked criticism from the US which has been keen to isolate Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. 

Rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are binding under the UN Charter but are difficult to enforce. The judgment is unlikely to directly affect Russian president Vladimir Putin's plan but is a definitive rebuke of his invasion of Ukraine.

Only the Russian and Chinese judges voted against the order.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the vote, tweeting: "Ukraine gained a complete victory in its case against Russia at the International Court of Justice."

Ukraine gained a complete victory in its case against Russia at the International Court of Justice. The ICJ ordered to immediately stop the invasion. The order is binding under international law. Russia must comply immediately. Ignoring the order will isolate Russia even further

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 16, 2022

"We welcome the court order and call on the Russian Federation to comply with the order, immediately cease its military operations in Ukraine, and to establish unhindered humanitarian access in Ukraine," said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

The court president, US judge Joan Donoghue, said the ICJ had found no evidence of Moscow's allegations that the Ukrainians were committing "genocide" against Russian speakers in the east of the country.

"The court considers that Ukraine has a plausible right not to be subjected to military operations by the Russian Federation," he said, according to The Guardian.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands of civilians and forced more than 2 million to flee their homes, according to the UN.