Russia’s War Against Ukraine

Lessons from Yugoslavia and Rwanda Support Claims of Genocide

By Philip Amur

Philip Amur is a May 2023 graduate of Albany Law School. He grew up in Walnut Creek, CA, and received his undergraduate degree from Willamette University, where he majored in Economics and Spanish.

At Albany Law School, Philip was involved with the Government Law Center Fellowship Program, the Student Bar Association, research assistance, and moot court competitions. During his time as a student, he interned with the Third Judicial District of the New York State Unified Court System, the Goldwater Institute, the Office of the New York State Comptroller, and the Claims Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office.

This September, Philip will be working as an Assistant District Attorney with the Queens County District Attorney’s Office. 

In February of 2022, Russia launched its long-anticipated invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Federation has labeled the invasion a “special military operation” intended merely to save pro-Russian Ukrainians from the alleged nationalistic tendencies of Kyiv’s current government.

However, according to world leaders other commentators, the actions of the Russian government and is military commanders sound in war crimes. Some have gone so far as to classify the acts carried out in Ukraine as genocidal.

This paper examines the legal origins of the term “genocide,” how the term has been interpreted by various ad-hoc tribunals, and whether those prior interpretations provide an adequate basis to charge President Putin with this crime.

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To read the paper, open HERE.