Indian Judge Votes Against Russia In ICJ Ruling On Ukraine Invasion, US Welcomes UN Top Court's Order

The court order was supported by 13 judges while two voted against it. Those who voted against it include Vice-President Kirill Gevorgian from Russia and Judge Xue Hanqin from China.

File Photo: AFP

New Delhi: The United States on Wednesday welcomed the International Court of Justice's order asking Russia to immediately suspend its military operations in Ukraine.

State Department Spokesperson Ned Price described it as a significant ruling and said that the ICJ "clearly and unequivocally" ordered Russia to immediately suspend its offensive, news agency PTI reported.

India's Judge Voted Against Russia

"The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend military operations that it commenced on 24 February on the territory of Ukraine," presiding judge Joan Donoghue told the International Court of Justice, pending the final decision in the case.

As per PTI, Indian judge Justice Dalveer Bhandari voted against Russia.

Justice Bhandari was nominated to the United Nations' top court entirely with the support of the government and various missions over a period of time.

His voting against Russia comes as an independent move based on his interpretation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, nevertheless, it is different from India's official position of nonalignment.

India has abstained from voting on the Ukraine-Russia issue in the UN and has been urging both sides to focus on negotiations to end the crisis.

The court order was supported by 13 judges while two voted against it. Those who voted against it include Vice-President Kirill Gevorgian from Russia and Judge Xue Hanqin from China.

Ukraine's contention that the Russian Federation's allegation of genocide against Ukraine is just an excuse for Russia's unlawful aggression raises doubt that this is a genuine case about genocide, Judge Xue Hanqin wrote in her dissent note.

"It appears that the acts complained of by Ukraine namely Russia's recognition of the independence of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine and Russia's military operations in Ukraine cannot be directly addressed by the interpretation and application of the provisions of the Genocide Convention, as the issues they have raised are concerned with the questions of recognition and use of force in international law," she said, as quoted by PTI.

US Welcomes Court Order

Talking about US' response to the ICJ order, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said: "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."

Price mentioned that the court in its ruling stressed the need for States to act in conformity with their obligations under international law, including the laws of war.

"And the Court expressed deep concern about the extreme vulnerability of the civilian population of Ukraine, the numerous civilian deaths and injuries that have resulted from the Kremlin's actions, and the significant material damage, including the destruction of buildings and infrastructure," he said, as quoted by PTI.

The Court further noted its profound concern with the Russian government's use of force and emphasised the Court's acute awareness of "the extent of the human tragedy that is taking place in Ukraine as well as the "continuing loss of life and human suffering".

The Court also observed that the government did not possess any evidence substantiating Russia's claims that genocide had been committed by Ukraine in the Donbas region, he stated.

ICJ plays a vital role in the peaceful settlement of disputes under the UN Charter.

(With Agency Inputs)