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Russia denies Kiev's 'terrorism' claims at UN court

The Hague : Russia hit back Tuesday at claims it is "sponsoring terrorism" in war-torn eastern Ukraine, dismissing as "neither factual nor legal" Kiev's contention that it is breaking its treaties by supporting pro-Moscow rebels.

"The Russian Federation complies fully with its obligations under (the) treaties that are now relied upon by Ukraine," to bring a case before the UN's top International Court of Justice, Moscow's representative said.

"We see neither a legal nor factual basis" for the measures asked for by Ukraine, Roman Kolodkin, legal director at Russia's foreign ministry, told the court in The Hague.

Ukraine on Monday urged the ICJ to order emergency measures to bring stability to its eastern regions. It said its claim against Moscow was based on the international convention for the suppression of the financing of terrorism and the convention of elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.

But Kolodkin said these were issues "clearly beyond the court's jurisdiction."

Nearly three years of conflict have claimed about 10,000 lives in eastern Ukraine -- and led to Russia's seizure of Ukraine's southern peninsula of Crimea in 2014 -- pushing ties between Moscow and the West to their lowest point since the Cold War.

Ukraine lodged its case at the ICJ in mid-January, saying it had protested for several years against Moscow's alleged financing of pro-Russian separatist rebels battling Ukrainian government forces.

Kiev has asked the court -- which rules in disputes between countries -- to order Moscow to stop funnelling money, arms and people into eastern Ukraine.