How Russia’s attack on Ukraine violates international law
PBS NewsHourMar 05, 2022
Day 292: Biden, G7 Pledge Further Boost To Ukraine's Air Defenses
Image copyright: [via Ukrainska Pravda]
The Facts
In a call with Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy late on Sunday, US Pres. Joe Biden pledged to further boost Ukraine's air defenses, as well as to continue efforts to restore the country's battered energy infrastructure following Russian attacks.
According to a White House readout: "The US is prioritizing efforts to strengthen Ukraine's air defense through our security assistance, including the Dec. 9 announcement of $275M in additional ammunition and equipment that included systems to counter the Russian use of unmanned aerial vehicles."
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after an election a "coup." This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
Pro-Russia narrative
NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate, and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.
Nerd narrative
There is an 10% chance that Ukraine will join NATO before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
