INTERNATIONAL LEGAL REVIEW OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE

Međunarodna naučna konferencija Društveno – ekonomski razvoj i obrazovanje sa akcentom na Republiku Srbiju i Raški okrug, Knj. 3 (pp. 7-22)

 

АУТОР(И) / AUTHOR(S): Duško Dimitrijević

Download Full Pdf   

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/87143.27.2.007D

САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:

Since Russia’s attempt to reach an agreement with the US and NATO on the “principle of equal and indivisible security in Europe” has not been realized, as well as its demands regarding the provision of “security guarantees”, including a legally binding declaration that Ukraine will not join NATO, Russia has taken “special military operation” on February 24, 2022. The analysis that follows is based on the thesis that the background of this conflict is the competition between the great powers – the USA and Russia, for the expansion and retention of spheres of influence. In order to give a realistic international legal assessment of the conflict in Ukraine, the paper first of all provides the historical-political background of the Ukrainian-Russian dispute, which originates from the Cold War era and the process of the collapse of the Soviet Union (USSR), which led to a serious disruption of the balance of power in the world. The global imbalance led to global political division and polarization, which is still reflected in the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict, which, according to the author, is a serious warning for the still valid legal system of the United Nations, whose basic value is the maintenance of international peace and security.

КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:

Russian-Ukrainian conflict, United Nations Charter, international legal prohibition of the use of force, international security

ЛИТЕРАТУРА / REFERENCES:

  • Alma-Ata Declaration (1992). International Legal Materials, No.
  • Blum, Y.Z. (1992). Russia takes over the Soviet Union’s Seat at the United Nations”, European Journal of International Law, Vol. 3, No. 2.
  • Cassese, A. (1999). Ex iniuria ius oritur: Are We Moving towards International Legitimation of Forcible Humanitarian Countermeasures in the World Community, European Journal of International Law, Vol. 10, No. 2.
  • Combacau, J. (1986). The Exception of Self-Defence in UN Practice”, in: Cassese (ed.), Current Legal Regulation of the Use of Force, Dordrecht, Boston, London.
  • Cot, J.P., Pellet, A. (1991). La Charte des Nations Unies: Commentaire article par article, Paris: Economica.
  • Council on Foreign Relations (2024). Conflict in Ukraine, Global Conflict Tracker, 13.02.2024.
  • Crowley, M., Wong, E. (2022). U.S. Sanctions Aimed at Russia Could Take a Wide Toll, The New York Times, 29.1.2022.
  • Declaration by the Heads of State of the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic; Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States, between the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation (RSFSR) and Ukraine of 8 December 1991 (1992). International Legal Materials, No. 31.
  • Declaration on the Guidelines on the Recognition of New States in Eastern Europe and in the Soviet Union of 17 December 1991, Annex II (1992), International Legal Materials, Vol. 31 (UN Security Council Document S/23293).
  • Dimitrijević, D. (2020). „Međunarodnopravni tokovi secesije država”, u: Jelena Perović Vujačić, Unifikacija prava i pravna sigurnost, Beograd, Srbija: Kopaonička škola prirodnog prava – Slobodan Perović.
  • Dimitrijević, D. (2021). „Secesionistički procesi – faktori očuvanja ili narušavanja mira i bezbednosti na prostoru bivšeg SSSR-a”, u: Dragan Petrović (ur.), Konfliktne zone na post-sovjetskom prostoru i regionalna bezbednost, Beograd, Srbija: Institut za međunarodnu politiku i privredu.
  • Dimitrijević, D. (2022). Sukob u Ukrajini i pravo na upotrebu sile, Međunarodna politika, No. 1186.
  • Dinstein, Y. (2005). War, Aggression and Self-Defence, Cambridge UK; University Press.
  • Doehring, K. (2002). Self-Determination”, in: Bruno Simma (ed.), The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary, Vol. I, Oxford UK: University Press.
  • Đukić, S. (2011). Kraj SSSR-a i Rusija, Beograd, Srbija: Službeni glasnik.
  • Feder, N. M. (1987). Reading the UN Charter connotatively: Toward a New Definiton of Armed Attack, New York University Journal of International Law and Politics, Vol. 19.
  • Getmanchuk, A. (2022). Russia as aggressor, NATO as objective: Ukraine’s new National Security Strategy, Atlantic Council, 30.09.2022, retrieved from: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russia-as-aggressor-nato- as-objective-ukraines-new-national-security-strategy/
  • Goncharenko, R. (2014). Ukraine’s forgotten security guarantee: The Budapest Memorandum, Deutche Welle, 5.12.2014.
  • Grant, T. D. (2015). Aggression against Ukraine: Territory, Responsibility and International Law, London UK: Palgrave MacMillan.
  • Hazard, J. N. (2002). Soviet Republics in International Law, in: R Bernhardt (ed.), Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Amsterdam, North-Holland: Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law.
  • Henkin, L. (1979). How Nations Behave: Law and Foreign Policy, New York, USA: Columbia University Press.
  • ICJ (1986). Case concerning Military and Paramilitary Activities in and aganist Nicaragua”, International Court of Justice Report.
  • ICJ (2022). Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation) Request for the indication of provisional measures, ICJ, Summary, 03.2022.
  • ICJ (2024). Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine Russian Federation) 32 States intervening, Judgment, 2.02.2024.
  • ICJ Press Release (2024). Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine Russian Federation), No. 2024/59, 6.08.2024.
  • ICJ (2024). Application of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (Ukraine v. Russian Federation), Judgment, 31.01.2024.
  • Kogan, Y. (2021). Russia’s national security strategy– Strengthening confrontational sentiment and siege mentality, Reichman University, August 2021, retrieved from: https://www.runi.ac.il/en/research-institutes/ government/ips/activities/newsletter/kogan-1-8-21/
  • Krone-Shmalz, G. (2015). Russland verstehen: Der Kampf um die Ukraine und die Arroganz des Westens, München, Germany: Beck C. H.
  • Miklasová, J. (2022). Russia’s Recognition of the DPR and LPR as Illegal Acts under International Law, Völkerrechtsblog, 24.2.2022.
  • Murphy, S. D. (2002). Contemporary Practice of the United States relating to International Law, American Journal of International Law, Vol. 96.
  • Neuman, S., Hurt, A. (2023). The ripple effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine continue to change the world, NPR, 22.02.2023, retrieved from: https://www. npr.org/2023/02/22/1157106172/ukraine-russia-war-refugees-food-prices
  • Ponomarenko, I. (2018). Ukraine withdraws all envoys from CIS bodies, Kyiv Post, 19.5.2018.
  • Press Conference United Nations Secretary-General, 22.02.2022., retrieved from:https://un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-encounter/2022-02-22/ secretary-generals-pressencounter-ukraine.
  • Protocol to the Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on December 8, 1991 at the city of Minsk, by the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation (RSFSR) and Ukraine, between the Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Republic of Uzbekistan and Ukraine (1992). Alma-Ata, 21 December 1991, International Legal Materials, No. 31.
  • Rahaman Sarkar A., Marcus, C., Giordano, J. (2022). Dozens dead and airports bombarded after Putin invades Ukraine – live, The Independent, 24.02.2022.
  • Roland R. (1993). Recognition of States: The Collapse of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, European Journal of International Law, Vol. 4, No. 1.
  • Sayapin, S. (2018). An Alleged Genocide of Russian-Speaking Persons in Eastern Ukraine: Some Observations on the Hybrid Application of International Criminal Law by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation”, in: S Sayapin, E. Tsybulenko (eds), The Use of Force against Ukraine and International Law, Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany: Springer.
  • Schachter, O. (1989). Self-Defence and the Rule of Law, American Journal of International Law, Vol. 83.
  • Sterio, M. (2018). Secession in International Law – A New Framework, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
  • The State Duma (2022). The State Duma ratified treaties and adopted laws on accession of DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions to Russia”, 3.10.2022, retrieved from: http://duma.gov.ru/en/news/55407/
  • Tomuschat, C. (2006). Secession and Self-Determination”, in: Marcelo G. Kohen (ed.), Secession, International Law Perspectives, Cambridge, UK: University Press.
  • Van den Hole, L. (2003). Anticipatory Self-Defence under international Law”, American University International Law Review, Vol. 19, No. 1.
  • Voitovich, S. (1993). The Commonwealth of Independent States: An Emerging Institutional Model”, European Journal of International Law, Vol. 4, No. 3.
  • Wagner, M. K. (2014). Das groꞵe Rätsel um Genschers angebliches Versprechen”, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 19.04.2014, retrieved from: https://faz.net/aktuell/politik/ost-erweiterung-der-nato-was-versprach- genscher-12902411.html.
  • Walker, G. K. (1988). Anticipatory Collective Self-Defense in the Charter Era: What the Treaties Have Said, Cornell International Law Journal, 31, No. 2.
  • Yehuda Z.B (1992). Russia takes over the Soviet Union’s Seat at the United Nations, European Journal of International Law, Vol. 3, No. 2.