Ukraine demands Russia to give up veto in UNSC if it doesn't comply with ICJ order

A day after United Nations’ highest court ordered Russia to stop hostilities in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oleh Nikolenko demanded Moscow to give up all the rights granted under the UN Charter. The statement from the Ukrainian Ministry came as the Russian forces continue to attack Ukraine despite the International Court of Justice's order to stop it immediately. He also demanded Russia to give up its right of veto in the UN Security Council as it has violated the legal order.
"Russia wants to sit on two chairs at the same time. On the one hand, it does not want to implement the mandatory order of the UN’s International Court of Justice. On the other hand, it wants to continue using the privileges of international law. But the international law cannot be wagged like a dog’s tail," Nikolenko told  National News Agency of Ukraine, Ukrinform on Thursday. 

He told the news agency that Russia is legally bound to comply court's order in order to adhere the international laws. He maintained that Russia has disobeyed the court's order and hence it should give up all the rights granted under the UN Charter.
"Russia’s statement that the court has no jurisdiction to consider the claim of Ukraine, and, accordingly, to execute it, is void. During the hearing, the court rejected Russia’s objections and confirmed the powers to issue its order," Nikolenko stressed.
Further, he said that the ignorance of the court's order will not let Russia avoid responsibility for its crimes against the Ukrainian people.

ICJ calls on Russia to immediately suspend operation in Ukraine

It is worth mentioning that the ICJ ordered Russia to stop the war immediately. The order came in response to Russia's claim of the Ukrainian government committing genocide in the disputed areas-- Donetsk and Luhansk. However, rejecting all the accusations, the court noted that Russia could not use this baseless argument to attack its neighbouring country, Ukraine. 
"The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the special military operations it commenced on 24 February 2022," AP quoted the court’s president, US judge Joan E. Donoghue, as saying after the Court's order.  Though the court said that the countries that refuse to abide by court orders can be referred to as the UN Security Council, where Russia holds veto power, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed it as a major victory.

With inputs from AP

Image: AP/ANI