The Russian–Ukrainian War, the International World Order and the Role of the EU

Abstract

Russia violated the most basic rule of international law, the prohibition of aggression, by attacking Ukraine. Russia’s legal arguments for attacking Ukraine are not acceptable under international law. These arguments are, however, not new: similar legal arguments had already been used in other occasions, including by other states. At the same time, the war in Ukraine is an unprecedented violation of international law, which has fundamentally shaken the existing world order – the cornerstone of which is the prohibition of aggression, and in the creation of which the Soviet Union also participated. International law works well if its framework is clear, if it does not fall victim to arbitrarily broad interpretation, and if the compromise behind those rules still functions. Unfortunately, we have already seen several situations where these conditions were not met. The EU and its Member States have a stake in the survival of the existing international world order. On some issues, the EU has exhibited particularly strong cooperation and activity, while on other questions there are strong fault lines within the Union. What role the EU can play in resolving the conflict and preserving the existing international legal order remains a question.