Is International Law Effective? The Case of Russia and Ukraine

Recent events in Ukraine have raised a number of complex questions about the effectiveness of international law. Is the UN Charter's collective security system powerless in the face of the determined action of a member of the P5? Do EU and U.S. economic sanctions offer an effective alternative response to what many consider Russia's illegal actions in Crimea? What role does international law's commitment to self-determination play in evaluating the lawfulness of the secession of Crimea and its annexation by Russia in the wake of a popular referendum? Does the claim that a democratically elected (though deposed) Head of State of Ukraine issued an invitation to Russia offer any legal justification for the military intervention? Do claims that intervention was necessary for the defense of nationals carry any weight? How should we evaluate President Vladmir Putin's reference to events in Kosovo, Iraq, and Libya as precedents for Russia's actions in Crimea? The panel will consider these questions and seek to offer insight into the implications of recent events in Ukraine for the effectiveness of international law-particularly the prohibition on the use of force and protection of the territorial integrity of sovereign states.