UN Court rules on whether Ukraine committed genocide

The United Nations Supreme Court ruled on Friday that it will consider whether Ukraine committed genocide in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, an accusation that is at the heart of Russia's argument for its large-scale invasion in 2022.

The ruling came in a case brought by Ukraine at the International Court of Justice. The court said that Ukraine's claim that there was no credible evidence that Kiev was “responsible for committing genocide” in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions was admissible and that it would investigate that claim on its merits.

The case, which is likely to take many months to resolve, will provide a legal answer to one of Russia's central accusations against Ukraine: that Kiev is committing genocide against Russian speakers in the east of the country.

In his February 2022 speech announcing the invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin said the purpose of the “special military operation,” as Russia has called the war, was to “protect people who have been facing humiliation and genocide for eight years now.” by the Kiev regime.”

At the time, Ukraine denounced Russia's accusations of genocide, calling them “manipulative.” Shortly after the invasion, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said they served as an excuse for Russia's “unlawful aggression.”

Two days after the Russian attack, Ukraine took its case to court, based in The Hague, in the Netherlands, arguing that the accusation of genocide was false and that Russia's use of force against the country was therefore a violation of the Genocide Convention.

In its ruling on Friday, the court rejected jurisdiction over that claim by Ukraine, as well as the claim that Moscow violated the treaty by recognizing separatist republics in eastern Ukraine as independent states. But the 16-judge panel said it would decide whether Ukraine committed genocide in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

In Russia, the court's decision was celebrated as a victory. The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this in a statement rack that Ukraine's case was “falling apart” and that the government in Kiev had “put itself in the dock” and “shot itself in the foot.”

But should the court rule in Ukraine's favor, it would reject Russia's claim that Kiev had committed genocide against Russian-speakers in the country's east, which was at the heart of Moscow's argument for invasion and general hostility toward Ukrainians government. The court's decisions are legally binding, but cannot be enforced.

In 2021, the last year before the invasion, 25 people were killed and 85 injured in the eastern areas as a result of the conflict. according to to a UN report.