ICJ Rejects Ukraine's Claim to Recognize Russia as Aggressor State - Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected Kiev's claim to recognize Russia as an "aggressor state" and the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) as "terrorist organizations," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the ICJ rejected most of Ukraine's claims against Russia under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in Crimea, Court President Joan Donoghue said.

"The International Court of Justice did not follow Kiev's whim and refused to recognize Russia as an 'aggressor state.' The court also rejected Ukrainian insinuations that the DPR and LPR are allegedly 'terrorist organizations,'" the statement said.

Kiev hoped to back up its demands for the transfer of Russian assets frozen in the West and the introduction of international restrictions against Russia with the court claim, the ministry added.

Ukraine filed the lawsuit with the ICJ in 2017, accusing Russia of violating international conventions on anti-terrorism and racial discrimination over actions in Donbass and Crimea.

The ICJ found that Russia had breached the anti-discrimination treaty by "the way in which it has implemented its educational system in Crimea after 2014 with regard to school education in the Ukrainian language," and rejected all other claims.

The Hague-based court also found that Russia had faithfully fulfilled its obligations to cooperate in the fight against terrorism financing, including the obligation to identify and block funds used to finance terrorism.

The ICJ declined to rule on Kiev's accusations of Russia's alleged responsibility for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014.