The International Court of Justice says it will rule "as soon as possible" after ending a hearing into a legal move by Kyiv to stop an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops despite Moscow's rejection of the proceedings.
The United Nations' top court opened the case on March 7 and heard arguments from Ukraine. It had scheduled a second session for March 8 to give Russia a chance to present its case, but Moscow boycotted the proceedings, leaving a conspicuously empty row of seats reserved for its lawyers in the Hague-based chamber.
Ukraine is seeking a court order for Russia to “immediately suspend the military operations” Moscow launched on February 24 “that have as their stated purpose and objective the prevention and punishment of a claimed genocide" in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting government forces since 2014.
Kyiv calls the claims a fabricated pretext Russian President Vladimir Putin is using for the invasion.
"The fact that Russia's seats are empty speaks loudly. They are not here in this court of law; they are on a battlefield waging an aggressive war against my country," Ukrainian envoy Anton Korynevych said.
Russia, "lay down your arms and put forward your evidence," he said.
The court president, American judge Joan E. Donoghue, said Russia had informed the tribunal that it did not intend to participate in the oral proceedings, which the court called a "regrettable" decision.
Legal analysts say that even if the court grants the request Ukraine is seeking, Russia is unlikely to act on it and stop its attack, which has sent more than 1.5 million Ukrainians fleeing to neighboring countries.