What 20 Years of Putin’s Own Words Tell Us About Russia’s Subversion of International Law
Seven months into Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, amid mounting evidence of Russian battlefield losses, Putin announced his country’s latest annexation of four territories. In a rambling speech that alternately sought legitimacy for the annexations in the UN Charter and railed against Western colonialism and transgender rights, the enigmatic Russian leader revealed a great deal about [...]
Energy Imperialism: How the Law of the Sea Facilitated Russia’s Weaponization of Natural Gas
The Demand and Supply Paradigm Fossil fuels remain the greatest global source of energy and are subject to the same demand and supply forces that govern all other resources. However, there is a growing imbalance between the two. In terms of demand, in the last three centuries, there has been an exponential increase in world [...]
International Recognition of Russian Genocide of Ukrainian Nation
Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine has sparked a strong international reaction, with most states referring to the actions of the Russian army as war crimes. A number of parliaments and heads of states have recognized that yet another international crime—genocide—is being committed by the occupant’s troops. Poland’s parliament—the Sejm—was the first to pass a resolution [...]
Russia soldiers sentenced to 11.5 years in prison for war crimes in Ukraine
Two Russian artillerymen, were sentenced to 11.5 years in prison in Ukraine Tuesday for war crimes. The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office charged Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov with violating Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which governs war crimes. The court found that the men had “destroyed critical infrastructure and [...]
Ukraine parliament bans symbols associated with Russia invasion
The Ukrainian Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, Sunday banned the public display and use of symbols “Z” and “V” and other symbols favored by proponents of Russia’s invasion, likening them to Nazi war propaganda. However, special exceptions have been made for educational purposes. The invasion’s proponents have used the “Z” symbol since the invasion began in [...]
Finland and Sweden Wednesday officially applied for NATO membership, as the Russian War in Ukraine rages on. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin enthusiastically said they intended to join NATO despite Russian warnings. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson followed Finland with intentions to join NATO. Finland and Sweden, both neutral countries, had not [...]
Law students and young lawyers in Ukraine are filing for JURIST on the latest developments in that country as it defends itself against Russian invasion. Here, Kyiv-based lawyer and University of Pittsburgh LLM graduate Yaroslav Pavliuk reports. As Ukraine enters the eighth week of Russian military aggression, the cost of the war rises dramatically. In [...]
Latvia parliament bans symbols of military aggression in public display
The Latvian parliament Thursday voted to ban symbols of military aggression and war crimes from public display, including the letters “Z” and “V” and the Ribbon of Saint George, which are seen as symbols of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While the existing Law on the Safety of Public Entertainment and Festivity Events (the Law) [...]
On February 24, 2022, at about 6:00 AM, I woke up to a telephone call from my friend. I was at home in Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, located near the border with Russia. “The war has started” were the first words I heard that day. I just stayed in the middle of my [...]
The other day, when I woke up in the morning, I thought that I should go to Kyiv and do my part by remembering George Orwell and the Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War, and paying homage to Catalonia. My 66 year old body shortly thereafter said that the Ukrainians are not asking for [...]
