How Russia’s attack on Ukraine violates international law
PBS NewsHourMar 05, 2022
In her first call with Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy as head of state on Tues., Britain's new PM, Liz Truss, pledged her "full backing" for Ukraine and said it "could depend on the UK's assistance for the long term," according to a Downing Street statement.
Truss, a Conservative, also spoke with US Pres. Joe Biden. According to the White House, the two "discussed the importance of continued close cooperation on global challenges, including supporting Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression, addressing the challenges posed by China, preventing Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon, and securing sustainable and affordable energy resources."
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.
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.
There's a 40% chance that there will be a large-scale armed conflict in Russia before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.