Russia's Foreign Ministry says it expects the International Court of Justice to "take full regard" of the Kremlin's arguments in a case filed against Russia by Kyiv and will "eventually reject all of Ukraine's claims."
The ministry made the remarks in a statement issued on November 9, a day after the United Nations court ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear Kyiv's terrorism-financing complaint against Russia over Moscow's activities in eastern Ukraine.
The ICJ said conditions had been met for the case to be heard in full. It also rejected Russia’s argument that the court does not have jurisdiction in the case.
Kyiv alleges Moscow has breached a treaty on terrorism financing by arming and supporting pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014.
Kyiv has also charged that Russia-installed authorities have been suppressing the rights of ethnic Tatars and other minorities since Russia occupied and forcibly seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv hailed the court's "ruling asserting its jurisdiction in Ukraine's case against Russia."
"This is a major step toward protecting Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy, and holding Russia accountable for its actions," it wrote on Twitter.
The case opens a new legal front in strained relations between Russia and Ukraine and could take years to resolve.
Ukrainian armed forces have been fighting Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014.
Ukraine has asked the court to order Moscow to stop financing separatists in eastern Ukraine and to pay compensation for attacks -- including the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine, which killed all 298 passengers and crew on board.
Russia denies involvement in the downing of the passenger jet.
However, a Dutch-led international investigation concluded that the plane was shot down by a Russian Buk missile launcher positioned in separatist-controlled territory.
Ukraine has also asked the UN court to order Russia to stop discriminating against ethnic Tartars in Crimea.
