Russia will not change position on Kosovo

Russia will not change its decision not to recognize Kosovo, despite an UN International Court of Justice ruling that its declaration of independence from Serbia was legal, RBK reports. ICJ president Hisashi Owada said international law "contains no applicable prohibition" of Kosovo's declaration of independence and that the court had ruled that "the declaration of independence on 17 February 2008 did not violate general international law."

"Our position on our non-recognition of Kosovo's independence remains the same," a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said.