Title: The war in Ukraine: some international legal and political aspects

Authors: Ernest Petrič; Katarina Vatovec

Addresses: European Faculty of Law, New University, Ljubljana, Slovenia ' European Faculty of Law, New University, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract: This paper addresses the ongoing war in Ukraine. It argues that Russia's use of force against Ukraine, both in 2014 with the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, and today as we witness the aggression launched by the Russian Federation in February 2022, signifies a breach of international law, and provides no sound or justifiable reasons for its legitimacy. Even though the United Nations Security Council is paralysed and thus cannot adopt a 'hard' resolution exercising its primary responsibility for international peace and security, the vast support of the international community for Ukraine's efforts and a broad condemnation of Russian aggression are evident in the General Assembly's 'soft' resolutions. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the political considerations triggered by Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and some thoughts on the need for a lasting, just, and indeed a sustainable peace.

Keywords: use of force; aggression; international law; international politics; Ukraine; Russian Federation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDIPE.2024.137127

International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy, 2024 Vol.10 No.1, pp.92 - 109

Received: 20 Sep 2023
Accepted: 09 Nov 2023
Published online: 01 Mar 2024 *

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