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\"On this day 17 years ago, in the case of Serbia, in Kosovo and M, international law was violated. There was an illegal, unilateral declaration of the so-called Kosovo, in contradiction with international law, UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and against the will of the majority of Serbian citizens, who were never consulted through a referendum. Even in Kosovo and M, there has been no such declaration to this day,\" said Gjuric. Lavrov added that Russia will continue to support Serbia regarding Kosovo. \"We discussed aspects of joint work in the UN and other multilateral organizations. I reaffirmed Russia's readiness to support Serbia's legitimate international legal interests concerning Kosovo and to make it a priority topic in the UN Security Council,\" stated Lavrov.<\/p>\n
However, the International Court of Justice's ruling on the legality of Kosovo\u2019s declaration of independence contradicts the claims made by Russian and Serbian officials.<\/p>\n
On July 22, 2010, following Serbia\u2019s request, the International Court of Justice<\/a> (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion concluding that Kosovo\u2019s declaration of independence on February 17, 2008, did not violate international law.<\/p>\n Kosovo\u2019s case in international law, as defined by Martti Ahtisaari, is considered \u201csui generis\u201d. Despite this, based on Article 96 of the UN Charter and Article 65 of the ICJ Statute, Serbia requested the Court to provide an advisory opinion<\/a> on the question: \"Is the unilateral Declaration of Independence, proclaimed by Kosovo\u2019s self-governing institutions, in accordance with international law?\"<\/p>\n After hearing arguments<\/a> from Kosovo, Serbia, and other states both supporting and opposing independence, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded that \"the Declaration of Independence does not violate general international law,\" thus affirming the legitimacy of Kosovo\u2019s independence from the perspective of international law. This is not the first time<\/a> Russian and Serbian officials have denied Kosovo\u2019s statehood, despite its recognition by over 100 countries and membership in numerous international organizations. Russian officials frequently use the Kosovo issue to promote a narrative that portrays U.S. interventions, particularly as Kosovo\u2019s ally, as setting destabilizing precedents in the international order. This stance was reiterated<\/a> on September 24, 2024, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Kosovo\u2019s independence was declared without a referendum. On the same day, Kremlin spokesperson Maria Zakharova also called<\/a> Kosovo\u2019s independence illegitimate.<\/p>\n