Is Russia's invasion of Ukraine justified?

NoSays it is contested

The question touches on contested international law — I'll gather the legal positions and stated justifications to give you a balanced answer.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, launched on 24 February 2022, has been justified by Russia on several grounds, but is widely considered unjustified and illegal under international law.

1. Russia's Stated Justifications

In his address announcing a "special military operation", President Vladimir Putin offered several reasons:

•Protection of Russian speakers and prevention of genocide: Putin said the purpose was to protect people who, "for eight years now, have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kiev regime. To this end, we will seek to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine". He announced the operation to defend the Russian-speaking territories in eastern Ukraine — the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic — under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

•Denazification and demilitarization: It cited denazifying and demilitarising Ukraine as well as ensuring its neutral status as among the main reasons for the full-scale invasion. Protecting the residents of the self-proclaimed separatist entities in Eastern Ukraine from alleged genocide was also cited.

•NATO expansion and security threat: Russia justifies its war by claiming it is necessary to halt NATO expansion, which it sees as a direct threat to its borders. Putin claimed that NATO was building up military infrastructure in Ukraine, threatening Russia, and that Ukraine had become an "anti-Russia" state supplied by NATO with modern weapons.

•Invitation by separatist republics: Russia recognized the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics as independent on 21 February 2022 and claimed it had been invited to intervene under treaties of friendship and mutual assistance, invoking Article 51 self-defence.

Other narratives cited in analysis include historical ties, the perceived illegitimacy of the Ukrainian government, and reasserting a sphere of influence over Ukraine.

2. Assessment Under International Law

The international legal framework is centered on the United Nations Charter.

•Prohibition on use of force: Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter prohibits "the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state". This prohibition is recognized as a peremptory norm (jus cogens).

•Limited exceptions: Exceptions are extremely limited. Article 51 permits self-defence only in response to an armed attack, and Chapter VII authorizes collective action through the UN Security Council. Self-defense is the only justification for use of force against another country according to international law.

•Application to Russia's invasion: Legal analyses conclude Neither of these exceptions applied to Russia's invasion. Ukraine did not launch an armed attack against Russia, and the Security Council did not authorize any use of force. The invasion is described as a violation of Article 2(4), and that there is "no basis for claiming that the invasion will prevent 'genocide'".

•Rejection of Russia's specific legal claims:

•Putin's allegations were widely rejected as untrue.

•Claims of genocide in Donbas have been widely rejected as baseless. More than 300 scholars rejected Russia's abuse of the term, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said it had not seen any evidence of genocide committed by Ukraine. When Ukraine brought a case to the ICJ, the Court ordered Russia to halt operations and found no substantiation for genocide claims.

•On Article 51, lawyers note the DPR and LPR were not UN member states and were only recognized as independent by Russia, so they could not trigger collective self-defence, and a blurred NATO threat cannot justify the action under Article 51.

•Humanitarian intervention is not a legally recognized exception to the prohibition on use of force, and no credible international organization found evidence of genocide.

3. International Response

The invasion was overwhelmingly condemned internationally:

•The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution that "demands" Russia "immediately" withdraw from Ukraine, with 141 out of 193 member states voting for it.

•The resolution demanded that Russia "immediately, completely and unconditionally" withdraw all its troops.

•The UN Secretary-General and many states described it as a blatant violation of the UN Charter, and the International Criminal Court has pursued investigations into the crime of aggression and war crimes.

Summary

From Russia's perspective, the invasion is presented as a defensive, preemptive action to protect Russian speakers, counter NATO, and denazify Ukraine.

From the perspective of international law and the view held by the UN General Assembly, a majority of states, the ICJ, and most international law scholars, the invasion does not meet the legal criteria for justified use of force. It is considered a violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and an act of aggression, because the claimed justifications of genocide, self-defence, and invitation by non-recognized entities have not been accepted as legally valid.

Citations (2)

1wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
Vladimir Putin speech on invading Ukraine - Wikipedia
Backs: “Russia's invasion of Ukraine, launched on 24 February 2022, has been justified by Russia on several grounds, but is widely considered unjustified and illegal under international law.”
attribution, reference entry, points to no. Claim: Russia justified the invasion on several grounds, including protecting Russian speakers and denazification, but it is widely considered unjustified and illegal under international law.
2legalserviceindia.comCommercial content
The Legality of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Under International Law | Legal Service India - Law Articles - Legal Resources
Backs: “Other narratives cited in analysis include historical ties, the perceived illegitimacy of the Ukrainian government, and reasserting a sphere of influence over Ukraine. 2. Assessment Under International Law. The international legal framework is centered on the United Nations Charter. Prohibition on use of force:…”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Under the UN Charter, Article 2(4) prohibits the use of force and the exceptions do not apply to Russia's invasion.