How Russia’s attack on Ukraine violates international law
PBS NewsHourMar 05, 2022
Commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, said on Friday that two Russian missiles launched from the Black Sea had crossed into Romanian and Moldovan airspace before landing in Ukraine. The claim could not be verified and Russia has so far failed to comment on the allegation.
The Romanian Defense Ministry, however, contradicted the account, saying that "an aerial target ... most likely a cruise missile" had flown through Ukrainian airspace, crossed into Molvoda, and then re-entered Ukrainian airspace without flying over Romania. In contrast, Moldova confirmed that its airspace had been violated, with the nation's foreign minister ordering "the urgent summoning" of Russia's ambassador in Chisinau.
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 2% chance that Ukraine will officially recognize a former Ukrainian territory (Luhansk, Donetsk, or Crimea) as independent before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.