By Ryan Janes
During his time at Albany Law, Ryan worked at both the Oneida County Public Defender’s Office and the Albany County District Attorney’s Office.
This past fall, Ryan began working for a firm in Syracuse, NY, handling matters related to Workers Compensation, Employment and Business Law.
In his free time, Ryan enjoys fishing, golfing, and watching sports.
In February 2022, the Russian Federation formally invaded the neighboring nation of Ukraine. This followed nearly a decade of political unrest and civil war in the Eastern regions of that country. Russia’s meddling within the country can largely be seen as the spark that set the fire ablaze, leading to the eventual full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and causing the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since the end of World War II.
The war has led to numerous international crises, with financial sanctions being imposed by nations such as the United States and economic/political organizations such as the European Union, and Russia facing widespread condemnation and isolation in international bodies.
Numerous legal questions have arisen because of this conflict and specifically two will be addressed in this paper. (1) Whether the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation violated international law? (2) Whether the hostilities by either Ukraine or the Russian Federation, constitute war crimes?
To address these questions, this paper begins by introducing a brief history of the Russo-Ukrainian War, followed by a discussion of the illegality of the war under international law. Further, the paper describes in detail the specific actions taken by the two Nations which can be constituted as war crimes, and lastly covers the steps taken to seek relief by international courts. Answers to these questions will then be addressed in the conclusion.
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To read the paper, open HERE.
