Ukraine to confront Russia at top UN court

Ukraine will go head-to-head with Russia at the UN's top court on Tuesday (Jun 6) to accuse its bitter foe of backing pro-Moscow rebels for years before last year's full-scale invasion.

Ukraine will go head-to-head with Russia at the UN's top court on Tuesday (Jun 6) to accuse its bitter foe of backing pro-Moscow rebels for years before last year's full-scale invasion.

Kyiv and Moscow will give their arguments to judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, in a case that was originally started by Ukraine back in 2017.

Ukraine has since filed a separate case related to Russia's February 2022 invasion, accusing Moscow of planning genocide. The ICJ in that case ordered Russia to suspend the invasion.

Lawyers for Ukraine will speak on Tuesday from 10am local time (4pm, Singapore time), while Russia will address the court on Thursday, the ICJ said in a statement. Ukraine will then reply on Jun 12 and Russia on Jun 14.

The ICJ was created after World War II to deal with disputes between UN member states. Its decisions are binding although it has no means to enforce them.

Ukraine alleges that Russia breached UN conventions on financing terrorism and on racial discrimination, and is seeking damages for attacks by pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine since 2014.

About 13,000 people died in the eight years of violence before the 2022 invasion.