Italy has joined the UK, the United States, France, Germany, Sweden and several other nations in filing a declaration of intervention in the case brought by Ukraine against Russia at the International Court of Justice.
"Italy files a declaration of intervention under Article 63 of the #ICJ Statute in the case concerning Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide," the foreign ministry tweeted.
In mid-March, the world court ordered Russia to immediately halt its military assault on Ukraine began on 24 February - a binding ruling which Russia did not heed.
Ukraine brought its case against Russia to the ICJ on 26 February, invoking the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Both countries are signatories to the convention.