Use of Force, Territorial Integrity, and World Order: Continuing the Debate

INTRODUCTORY BLOG

Published on 20 March 2023

Use of force, territorial integrity, and world order: continuing the debate

by Dr Ntina Tzouvala

Few international legal fields witness the intensity of debate, disagreement and feeling that jus ad bellum does. Linked to foundational ideas of sovereign prerogative, security, international order and (anti)imperialism, the international law of the use of force has been highly contested and highly coveted. read on...

Published on 20 March 2023

Unpacking the comparison between Ukraine and Iraq

by Professor Alejandro Chehtman

In a recent Editorial Comment in the American Journal of International Law (AJIL), Ingrid (Wuerth) Brunk and Monica Hakimi claim that the Russian invasion of Ukraine challenges the international legal order in a way we have not seen since World War II. The main reason for this, they argue, is that it entails a rejection of ‘the foundational principle of the post-World War II order’, namely, ‘that international boundaries may not be changed with force alone’ (at 688). read on...

Published on 22 March 2023

Ukraine and Beyond: the need to reaffirm basic principles and to build a new consensus on the prohibition of the use of force in international relations

by Professor Sâ Benjamin Traoré

In their introduction to the recent AJIL Agora on Ukraine and the future of the international legal order, Ingrid (Wuerth) Brunk and Monica Hakimi suggest that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the most significant shock to the global order since World War II. Leaving aside—for now—the merit of distinguishing between acts of aggression and suggesting that some aggressions ‘are better than others’, read on...

Published on 24 March 2023

On force, territory, and independence: how (not) to narrow down a rule

by Anastasiya Kotova & Dr Ntina Tzouvala

In analysing the legal and political implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ingrid (Wuerth) Brunk and Monica Hakimi suggest that the invasion has thrown the light on the importance of the ‘the norm at the core of the UN Charter system on the use of force: the prohibition of forcible annexations of foreign territory’ (p. 689). It is for this reason, they argue, that Russia’s aggression constitutes one of the biggest—if not the biggest—challenges to the post-World War II international (legal) order (p. 691). read on...

Published on 27 March 2023

Reflections on the Ukraine Moment and Western Selectivity: A Response to Ingrid (Wuerth) Brunk and Monica Hakimi

by Dr Ardi Imseis

In their recent Americal Journal of International Law editorial on the war in Ukraine and the future of the international legal order, Ingrid (Wuerth) Brunk and Monica Hakimi offer some interesting thoughts on Russia’s invasion and associated annexations of Ukrainian territory. I do not disagree with their affirmation that the invasion and annexations lack validity under international law. read on...

Published on 29 March 2023

Use of force, territorial integrity and world order: a response

by Professor Ingrid (Wuerth) Brunk & Professor Monica Hakimi

We begin by identifying our core claim and by noting that we largely agree with (or do not address) many important assertions that the other contributors to this Dialogues series have raised. Then, we identify what we think are the key points of disagreement and defend our position against them. Finally, we consider how states should respond to the invasion. read on...