Since February 24, 2022, Russia’s President has demonstrated an outrageous contempt towards any norm of international law. Putin does not in the least care about the notion of Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence; instead the “Fuhrer” of the Russian Federation unprovokedly and stealthily launched missiles in the area close to Kyiv at 5 AM, marking the beginning of a full-scale war against its neighbor. With each passing day, his soldiers blatantly infringe the values protected under international humanitarian law; specifically, Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Part IV of which covers the treatment of the civilian population during an armed conflict, and prohibits indiscriminate attacks “not directed at a specific military objective”.

Within the first 24 hours of war, a Russian missile hit a residential building in one of Kyiv’s most populated areas. In flagrant contravention of international law, the Russian military has repeatedly attacked non-military objects in Ukraine. On March 13, the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security in Yavoriv, near Lviv, was hit. Some cities are presently on the brink of a major humanitarian crisis due to constant shelling and shortage of food and medical supplies. The worst among them is Mariupol. Verified by the World Health Organization, there have been at least 29 attacks on health facilities in Ukraine. Russian soldiers have repeatedly opened fire at evacuating people, despite the agreed “green corridors”. They murdered an international correspondent, covering the events in Irpin. These are but a few examples of Russia’s barbaric cruelty and insolent disregard towards international law.

Although Putin began the invasion of only Ukraine, he is in fact leading a war against Europe, the US and all democratic states. He has been threatening the West with nuclear weapons; and presently, two of Ukraine’s biggest nuclear power stations–Chernobyl and Zaporozhye–are at risk of malfunctioning because the occupants have taken control over them and disrupted their proper operation. A global nuclear catastrophe may happen, even without Russian soldiers intending to cause it; now all that is needed is open fire at the Ukrainian army or stations’ personnel and accidentally hitting one of the plants. The consequences of such a disaster would be felt far beyond Ukraine.

Through blood, death and destruction in a European state, the world is being reminded that human life stands much higher than politely shaking hands with dictators and letting dirty oligarchs conduct their businesses abroad. Putin began this war partly as a result of not facing any effective punishment and deterrence for all his previous criminal actions, whether related to Georgia in 2008, Donbas and Crimea in 2014 or a disturbing persecution of opposition within Russia. And nor did his cronies. Russia’s bandits–politicians, state journalists and financiers–had been buying property in the world’s most expensive cities, sending their children to the most elite schools and universities, going on vacation to the wildest exotic places, etc. By giving these criminals such comforts of life, the West let them cling to Putin, thus creating a destructive and terrorizing regime.

Nastya Moyseyenko is a second-year law student at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv.

Suggested citation: Nastya Moyseyenko, Lack of Punishment From the West Led to Putin’s War, JURIST – Student Commentary, March 17, 2022, https://www.jurist.org/commentary/2022/03/Nastya-Moyseyenko-russia-putin-invasion-ukraine/.

This article was prepared for publication by Raghu Gagneja, a JURIST Assistant Editor. Please direct any questions or comments to him at commentary@jurist.org