Ukraine may submit a new claim against Russia to the International Court of Justice
Ukraine can demand new restrictions against the Russian Federation from the International Court of Justice, if Moscow violates the orders of the Court. Olena Zerkal, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for the European Integration, expressed this opinion in an interview with Zerkalo Nedeli (The Mirror Weekly).
In her opinion, the Court will comply with the request of Ukraine to apply temporary measures against the Russian Federation as part of the hearing that took place this week. "I am optimistic," said Zerkal.
She also spoke about the steps that Kyiv could take to achieve the implementation of the temporary measures.
"At the meetings of the U.N. Security Council, we will each time demand a report on how Russia is fulfilling the universally binding decisions of the International Court of Justice [ICJ] of the United Nations. This changes the very manner of communication with Russia," she explained.
According to Zerkal, the Ukrainian side deliberately has not put before the Court the issues of the occupation of the territory of Ukraine, the territorial belonging of the Crimea, or the presence or absence of Russian troops in the Donbas. "We are talking about the dispute as a purely legal matter, in which we are seeking legal protection for Ukrainian citizens," Zerkal said.
"Moreover, no one is impeding us from contacting the UN ICJ to tighten up measures if the Russian Federation does not adhere to the decisions of the Court," Zerkal said.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko expects operational decisions from the International Court of Justice in The Hague regarding the claim of Ukraine against the Russian Federation that will halt the supply of arms to the Donbas and stop the oppression of ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars in the Crimea.