How Russia’s attack on Ukraine violates international law
PBS NewsHourMar 05, 2022
Dozens of Russian drones struck the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday morning, killing at least four civilians and injuring three others, local officials said. As civilians scurried into shelters, some images showed security forces attempting to shoot the drones down using small arms, while others captured the aftermath of the blasts.
Drone strikes were also recorded in the region of Mykolaiv, reportedly hitting industrial infrastructure facilities and a pharmaceutical warehouse. Ukrainian officials said their missile defenses shot down as many as 26 drones—reportedly Iranian Shahed-136s—across the country. On Monday, Iran repeated its denial that the nation is supplying Russia with drones.
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 is a 1% chance that Ukraine will join the European Union before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.