By a vote of 13 to two, the International Court of Justice [7] at The Hague ruled [8] March 16 that Russia "shall immediately suspend...military operations" in Ukraine. The two dissenting votes were from ICJ Vice President Kirill Gevorgian of Russia and Judge Xue Hanqin of China. The court's ruling is in response to a suit filed by Ukraine on Feb. 27, accusing [9] Russia of manipulating the concept of "genocide" to justify its military aggression. Although the ICJ's verdicts are binding, the court has no direct means of enforcing them.
Russia chose not to participate in oral proceedings, but later presented a document setting out its position that the ICJ lacks jurisdiction in the case. In delivering the ruling, the ICJ president, Joan Donoghue of the United States, outlined the necessary conditions that were met to give the court authority. She especially stressed that Ukraine's assertions are plausible, and the condition of urgency was met in that acts causing irreparable harm can "occur at any moment."
"Attacks are ongoing and are creating increasingly difficult living conditions for the civilian population," Donoghue stated. "Many persons have no access to the most basic foodstuffs, potable water, electricity, essential medicines or heating. A very large number of people are attempting to flee from the most affected cities under extremely insecure conditions." (UN News [10])
