International treaties are only as strong as their enforcement mechanisms, just as domestic laws are only as strong as the institutions that have men with guns on the payroll who uphold them. Putin understands that international treaties don't have much teeth to them, that the UN's military is dwarfed by his own, and that western nations…
International treaties are only as strong as their enforcement mechanisms, just as domestic laws are only as strong as the institutions that have men with guns on the payroll who uphold them. Putin understands that international treaties don't have much teeth to them, that the UN's military is dwarfed by his own, and that western nations in Europe and North America are not willing to enforce international treaties. What he's doing is taking a realistic view of a dead letter via the west's lack of commitment to enforce it. This has been evident since at least the 2013 Syrian civil war when Bashar Al Assad used chemical weapons on his own people and didn't face any military consequences for it. The writing was on the wall, and Putin was reading it. It's no wonder he took Crimea the very next year. If the west isn't willing to enforce international law and the UN has a weak military, then nothing is going to stand in the way of the military desires of the eastern powers. Period. The only international piece of paper that might have any teeth left to it is NATO's Article V, and even that is starting to look potentially weakened via what Trump and MAGA's isolationism have said about it--the US being the only real show in town via NATO when it comes to projectable and readied military strength.
Why is Russia on the UN Security Council when it was the USSR that signed the charter? Because they have nukes? That can’t be the only reason. They must be called to account for ignoring agreements. Putin is already a wanted criminal with a warrant for his arrest. Is Russia’s seat on the Security Council legitimate considering their hostility to international law? Is there no mechanism to change membership of that body? Does it all depend on the Russians dealing with Putin on their own terms?
Who is going to call them to account? Who is going to send the men over there to arrest him? Even if you kick them off of the UNSC, the UN isn't going to send the blue helmets over there to detain him by force now are they? That is what a toothless authority looks like.
International treaties are only as strong as their enforcement mechanisms, just as domestic laws are only as strong as the institutions that have men with guns on the payroll who uphold them. Putin understands that international treaties don't have much teeth to them, that the UN's military is dwarfed by his own, and that western nations in Europe and North America are not willing to enforce international treaties. What he's doing is taking a realistic view of a dead letter via the west's lack of commitment to enforce it. This has been evident since at least the 2013 Syrian civil war when Bashar Al Assad used chemical weapons on his own people and didn't face any military consequences for it. The writing was on the wall, and Putin was reading it. It's no wonder he took Crimea the very next year. If the west isn't willing to enforce international law and the UN has a weak military, then nothing is going to stand in the way of the military desires of the eastern powers. Period. The only international piece of paper that might have any teeth left to it is NATO's Article V, and even that is starting to look potentially weakened via what Trump and MAGA's isolationism have said about it--the US being the only real show in town via NATO when it comes to projectable and readied military strength.
Why is Russia on the UN Security Council when it was the USSR that signed the charter? Because they have nukes? That can’t be the only reason. They must be called to account for ignoring agreements. Putin is already a wanted criminal with a warrant for his arrest. Is Russia’s seat on the Security Council legitimate considering their hostility to international law? Is there no mechanism to change membership of that body? Does it all depend on the Russians dealing with Putin on their own terms?
Who is going to call them to account? Who is going to send the men over there to arrest him? Even if you kick them off of the UNSC, the UN isn't going to send the blue helmets over there to detain him by force now are they? That is what a toothless authority looks like.
The Russians will have to do it.
Good luck getting them to do it. It ain't exactly 1917 or 1989 vibes over there right now.