A top UN court has rejected Kyiv’s claims that Moscow supports terrorists in eastern Ukraine, but demanded Russia stop racial discrimination against minorities in occupied Crimea.

Peace Palace in The Hague, seat of the International Court of Justice. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Yeu Ninje.

The decisions taken by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday are provisional, as the Ukrainian suit against Russia could take months, or even years, to resolve.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko welcomed the court’s decisions, adding that he “hopes for a successful hearing of these cases”.

Ukraine launched its suit in The Hague in January, accusing Russia of “interfering militarily in Ukraine, financing acts of terrorism, and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine’s citizens, including, for all too many, their right to life”.

But the UN court said Kyiv was unable to prove that the Kremlin sends weapons, soldiers or money to Ukraine, also questioning whether rebels were "terrorists."

The court did say, however, that Russia must allow the Crimean Tatar community to keep its representative institutions and allow Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian language education.

Some 10,000 people have died since fighting broke out in Ukraine in 2014. (vb/pk)