Translate this page:
Nota Bene. Books, journals, publishing technologies.
Please select your language to translate the article


You can just close the window to don't translate ☒
Library
 Your profile
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Back to contents

Law and Politics
Reference:

Savryga K.P. Ukrainian crisis and international law: armed conflict in eastern Ukraine and secession of Crimea

Abstract:  The international Ukrainian crisis, which started in February of 2014, consists of several components; first of all, it is an armed conflict on the territory of a number of eastern regions of Ukraine, and secession of the Republic of Crimea from Ukraine and its subsequent annexation to the Russian Federation. This article examines the questions of possible international legal qualifications of armed conflicts on the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, as well as the issue of possible grounds for Crimean secession from Ukraine. And finally, basing on the official point of view of Ukrainian government, we will attempt to determine which methods of legal defense Ukraine can receive within the framework of the current system of international law. As a result, the author concludes that the conflict in the southeast of Ukraine can represent an international character regardless of direct involvement of members of the Russian armed forces. As to the secession of Crimea, the author concludes that acknowledgement of the legality of its independence under the current circumstances depends on acknowledgement of the government, which is more of a political rather than legal issue. Even in the case of confirmed international armed conflict and act of aggression from the Russian Federation, the modern international law does not contain effective means of protection of the victim country.

Keywords:

recognition of government, state responsibility, right to self-determination, unilateral declaration of independence, armed conflict, Crimean crisis, Armed conflict in Ukraine, Ukrainian crisis, act of aggression, international law

This article can be downloaded freely in PDF format for reading. Download article


References
1. Soglashenie mezhdu Rossiyskoy Federatsiey i Ukrainoy o statuse i usloviyakh prebyvaniya Chernomorskogo flota Rossiyskoy Federatsii na territorii Ukrainy Byulleten' mezhdunarodnykh dogovorov. 1999. N 10. S. 74 – 80
2. Tolkachev K.B. "Krymskiy vopros" i sovremennoe pravo: k diskussii o legitimnosti referenduma // Evraziyskiy yuridicheskiy zhurnal. 2014, ¹ 5.S. 90-92
3. Sazonova K.L. Mezhdunarodnoe pravo i ukrainskiy konflikt: chto bylo, chto budet, chem serdtse uspokoitsya. // Mezhdunarodnoe pravo.-2014.-¹1. DOI: 10.7256/2306-9899.2014.1.11666
4. Otkrytaya Rossiya. Putin-Voyna. https://openrussia.org/post/view/4803
5. Kotlyarov I.I., Puzyreva Yu.V. Grazhdanskaya voyna v Ukraine: mezhdunarodnoe pravo i ugolovnaya otvetstvennost' individov za sovershenie mezhdunarodnykh prestupleniy // Moskovskiy zhurnal mezhdunarodnogo prava. 2014.¹4, ss.16-30;
6. Deklaratsiya o printsipakh mezhdunarodnogo prava, kasayushchikhsya druzhestvennykh otnosheniy i sotrudnichestva mezhdu gosudarstvami v sootvetstvii s ustavom ONN. GA res. 2625, Annex, 25 UN GAOR, Supp. (n.28), UN Doc. A5217,
7. Voronin E. R., Kulebyakin V. N., Nikolaev A. V. Gosudarstvennyy perevorot v Kieve v fevrale 2014 g.: mezhdunarodno-pravovye otsenki i posledstviya // Moskovskiy zhurnal mezhdunarodnogo prava. 2015 ¹1, ss.11-28;
8. Gnatovskiy N.N. Gumanitarnoe pravo v mezhdunarodnykh sudebnykh uchrezhdeniyakh: opasna li institutsional'naya fragmentatsiya? // Mezhdunarodnoe pravosudie.2012.¹1 s.84
9. Yoo J. // Oxford university Press Blog. May 2014. http://blog.oup.com/2014/05/ukraine-un-system-international-law-failure-pil
10. Yasuaki O. Is the International Court of Justice an Emperor Without Clothes?// International Legal Theory .2002. vol.8.P.13
11. Voneky S. Die Anwendbarkeit des humanitaren Volkerrechts auf terroristische Akre and ihre Bekampfung in Fleck D. (ed.), Rechtsfragen der Terrorismusbekampfung durch Streitkrafte, Baden-Baden .2004, pp. 151
12. Us Departament of state, Russia's Continuing Support for Armed Separatists in Ukraine and Ukraine's Efforts Toward Peace, Unity, and Stability-http://blogs.state.gov/stories/2014/07/14/russias-continuing-support-armed-separatists-ukraine-and-ukraines-efforts-toward#sthash.3UGo2QLY.dpuf;
13. Van den Hole L. Towards a Test of the International Character of an Armed Conflict: Nicaragua and Tadic // Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce .2005.vol.32, pp. 276
14. US Departament of defence, Russian Actions Bring Europe to Decisive Point. http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122576
15. UN Docs. S/PV.7124
16. UN General Assembly, ILC, First Report on State Responsibility-Addendum 5 (by Special Rapporteur James Crawford), UN Doc. A/CN.4/490/Add.5 (July 22, 1998), pp. 42-44 (paras. 283-284).
17. UK Royal United Services Institute, Russian Forces in Ukraine, March 2015;
18. UN Docs. A7620
19. Talmon S. Recognition of government in international law: with particular reference to governments in exile. Oxford. 1998.
20. Statman D. Targeted Killing // Theoretical inquiries in Law.2004.vol.5.P.197
21. Sari A. Ukraine Insta-Symposium: When does the Breach of a Status of Forces Agreement amount to an Act of Aggression? The Case of Ukraine and the Black Sea Fleet SOFA Opinio Juris. March. 2015
22. Rubin A. Secession and Sels-Determination: A Legal, Moral, and Political Analysis // Stanford journal of International law. 2000. Vol.36
23. Ruys T., Verhoeven S. Attacks by Private Actors and the Right of Self-Defence // Journal of Conflict and Security Law.2005.vol.10.
24. Sandoz Y., Swinarski C., Zimmerman B. Commentary on the Additional Protocols of 8 June 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949.Geneva.1987.
25. Report of the International Comission of Jurist.1920.LNOJ Spec.Supp.3,5
26. Rowe P. Responses to Terror: The new “War” // Melbourne Journal of International Law.2002.vol.3.
27. Regina v. Bow Street Magistrates Court ex parte Pinochet, No. 3 [2000] AC 147,http://www.parliament.thestationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199899/ldjudgmt/jd990324/pino1.htm.
28. Quenivet N. The Application of International Humanitarian Law to Situations of (counter)-Terrorist nature in Arnold R., Hildbrand P. (eds) International Humanitarian Law and the 21th Century Conflicts: Changes and Challenges.Lausanne.2005.
29. Prosecutor vs. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir [Warrant of Arrest], [March 4, 2009), ICC-02/05-01/09,http://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/doc/doc639078.pdfq.html.
30. Patel King F., Swaak-Goldman O. The Applicability of International Humanitarian Law to the “War against Terrorism” // Hague Yearbook of International Law.2003.
31. Otto R. Targeted Killing and International Law.Springer.2010.
32. PACE, The Humanitarian situation in Ukraine. 16 December 2014. http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/X2H-Xref-ViewPDF.asp?FileID=21335&lang=en
33. Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-Fourth Session, Supplement No. 20 (A/7620), Report of Special Committee, 24 February to 3 April 1969,
34. Ohlin D. Control Matters: Ukraine & Russia and the Downing of Flight 17 Opinio Juris. 2014, July. http://opiniojuris.org/2014/07/23/control-matters-ukraine-russia-downing-flight-17/
35. Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe, SMM Ukraine Crisis Report, March 2014.
36. Meron T. The Hague Tribunal: Working to Clarify International Humanitarian Law. // American university law review.1998.vol.13.
37. Moir L. Grave Breaches and Internal Armed Conflicts // Journal of International Criminal Justice.2009.#7.vol.763.
38. Meron T. Classification of Armed Conflicts in Former Yugoslavia: Nicaragua Fallout // Amercan Journal of International Law.1998.vol.92.
39. ICC, The Prosecutor v. Lubanga, ICC-01/04-01/06-803, Pre-Trial Chamber I (Jan. 29, 2007)
40. Jones v. UK, European Court of Human Rights, Nos. 34356/06 and 40528/06) (Jan. 14, 2014),http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/sites/eng/pages/search.aspx#{"appno":["34356/06"],"itemid":["001-140005"]}.
41. ICTY, Prosecutor v Blaškić, , Case no IT-95-14-A,), 31st October, 2003, Appeals Chamber
42. ICTY, Prosecutor v. Delalić et al., IT-96-21-A Appeals Chamber, Judgement, 20 February 2001
43. ICTY, Prosecutor v.Aleksovski, Appeal Chamber, ICTY IT-95-14/1, judgment, 24 march 2000
44. ICTY, Prosecutor v.Delalic, Trial Chamber, judgment, IT-02-60, 1998;
45. ICTY, Prosecutor v. Tihomir Blaskic, Case No. IT-95-14-T, ("Lasva Valley"), Judgment of March 3, 2000, reprinted in: 122 Intl L.R. (2002),
46. ICTY, Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic, Case No. IT-94-1-A, Judgment of May 7, 1997, reprinted in: 112 Int'l L.R. (1999), Separate and Dissenting Opinion of Judge McDonald regarding the Applicability of Article 2 of the Statute, reprinted in: 112 Intl L.R. (1999)
47. ICTY, Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic, Case No. IT-94-1-AR72, Decision on the Defence Motion for Interlocutory Appeal on jurisdiction of October 2, 1995, reprinted in: 105 Int'l L.R. (1997)
48. ICTY, Prosecutor v. Dario Kordic and Mario Cerkez, Case No. IT-95-14/2 ("Lasva Valley"), Judgment of February 26, 2001
49. ICTY, Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic, Case No. IT-94-1-A, Judgment of May 7, 1997, reprinted in: 112 Int'l L.R. (1999)
50. ICTY, Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic, Case No. IT-94-1-A, Judgment (Merits Appeal) of July 15, 1999, reprinted in: 124 Intl L.R. (2003)
51. ICTR, Akayesu Case (Judgment of 2 September 1998)-ICTR-96-4
52. ICRC, Report Institute of International Humanitarian Law/ICRC-Roundtable.2003.
53. ICJ, United States Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran, United States of America v. Iran, Merits, Judgment of May 24, 1980, I.C.J. Reports 1980,
54. ICJ, Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua, Nicaragua v. United States of America, Judgment (Merits) of June 27, 1986, I.C.J. Reports 1986
55. ICJ, Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro, Judgment of February 26, 2007
56. ICJ, Corfu Channel, Merits, Judgment of April 9, 1949, I.C.J. Reports 1949, pp.18; Jennings R., Watts A. (eds.), Oppenheim's International Law, Vol. I (Peace), 9`' ed., Harlow 1992, pp. 449-551.
57. IACiHR, Abella (La Tablada) Case, para. 155
58. ICJ, Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo. Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports 2010
59. http://ria.ru/interview/20150313/1052368767.html
60. http://www.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/newsline/09AFA7C4298D6E2944257CA6003D91C9
61. http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2014/06/24/the_us_has_unfinished_business_in_ukraine_and_ira
62. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t42-71RpRgI
63. Human Rights Watch, Vostochnaya Ukrainy: voprosy mezhdunarodnogo gumanitarnogo prava. https://www.hrw.org/ru/news/2014/07/01/vostochnaya-ukraina-voprosy-mezhdunarodnogo-gumanitarnogo-prava ; ICRC, Ukraine: ICRC calls on all sides to respect international humanitarian law. https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2014/07-23-ukraine-kiev-call-respect-ihl-repatriate-bodies-malaysian-airlines.htm
64. http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/sites/eng/pages/search.aspx?i=001-144151#{"itemid":["001-144151"]}.
65. http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/20366
66. http://minsk.usembassy.gov/budapest_memorandum.html
67. Guiora A. Targetd Killing as Active Self-Defense // Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law.2004.vol.36
68. http://armamentresearch.com/Uploads/Research%20
69. http://forbes.ua/nation/1366750-vladimir-ryabcev-ot-norm-budapeshtskogo-memoranduma-rossiya-otstupila-eshche-v-2003-godu
70. George Friedman, Stratfor, U.S. Has Unfinished Business in Ukraine & Iraq (June 24, 2014),
71. Groll E. What would Russian troops do once they cross the Ukranian border // Foreign Policy, 2014, aprill.
72. Foakes J. Immunity for International Crimes. Chatham House. http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/public/Research/International%20Law/bp1111_foakes.pdf
73. European Court of Human Rights No. 257891/94 (Grand Chamber) (May 12, 2014), Extraordonary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, Case File/Dossier N. 001/18-07-2007/ECCC/TC. Trial Chamber, Judgment, 26 July, 2010
74. Donovan D., Roberts A. The Emerging Recognition of Universal Civil Jurisdiction// American Journal of International law. 2006.vol.100.
75. Delahunty R. The Crimean Crisis. University of St Thomas of Law and Public Policy journal.2014.¹ 6
76. Diplomatic Conference 1949, Final Record,Vol.2-B
77. Crawford J. Creation of states in International law. Oxford.2006.
78. Dalton J. What is War? Terrorism as War After 9/11 // Journal of International and Comparative Law.2006.vol.12.
79. Darcy S. Judges, Law and War : The Juducial Development of International Humanitarian Law.Cambridge. 2014.
80. Cassese A. International Law. Oxford.2005.
81. Center for Constitutional Rights, France in Violation of Law Grants Donald Rumsfeld Immunity,Dismisses Torture Complaint, http://www.ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/france-violation-law-grants-donaldrumsfeld-immunity,-dismisses-torture-comp.
82. Burke J., Panina-Burke S. Eastern and Southern Ukraines Right to Secede and Join Russian federation // Russian law journal. 2015. ¹1.
83. Case concerning Oil Platforms (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America) (Oil Platforms case) , Judgment of 6 Nov. 2003, [2003] ICJ Rep 161
84. Borgen C. Who Speaks for Ukraine? // Opinio Juris 2014, ¹3. http://opiniojuris.org/2014/03/03/who-speaks-for-ukraine
85. Boisson de Chazournes and Heathcote, The Role of the International Adjudicator// ASIL Proceedings.2001
86. Aust H. The Normative Environment for Peace-On the Contribution of the ILC's Articles on State Responsibility in: Nolte G. (ed.), Peace through International Law: The Role of the International Law Commission, Heidelberg. 2009
87. Arrest Warrant Case of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Belgium), [2002] ICJ Reports 3
88. Arrêt relative aux pursuits engagées contre le colonel Kadhaffi, Cour de Cassation (March 13, 2001), Arrêt no.1414.
89. Arai-Takahashi Y. Disentangling Legal Quagmires: The Legal Characterization of the Armed Conflicts in Afganistan since 6/7 October 2001 and Question of Prisoner of War Status // Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law.2002.
90. Amnesty international, Ukraine: Mounting evidence of war crimes and Russian involvement. https://www.amnesty.org/en/press-releases/2014/09/ukraine-mounting-evidence-war-crimes-and-russian-involvement/;
91. Tolstykh V.L. Vossoedinenie Kryma s Rossiey: pravovye kvalifikatsii // Evraziyskiy yuridicheskiy zhurnal. 2014, ¹ 5. S. 40-46;
92. Kiselev V.A., Vorob'ev I.N. Gibridnye operatsii kak novyy vid voennogo protivoborstva // Voennaya mysl'.2015.¹5.S.41-48
Nota Bene
 
For authors
 
Other
 
Our sites
© 1998 – 2024 Nota Bene. Publishing Technologies. NB-Media Ltd.