Russian Annexation of Ukraine: A Comprehensive Study of Justification of the Annexation under International Law

Abstract

In March and April 2021, Russia started to build up its military in a big way near the border with Ukraine. From October 2021 to February 2022, there was a second buildup in both Russia and Belarus. The annexation was primarily motivated by Ukraine's desire to join NATO, which Russia opposed for economic and geopolitical reasons. Basically, Russia is providing oil and gas pipelines through Ukraine, and if Ukraine joins, their economic side will be hampered. One cannot say if what transpired in Ukraine is legal or illegal under international law, especially after Crimea. The new approach to the Ukraine crisis may pose a threat to global security because using referendum and involving a foreign power in the act of self-determination of a country and nation may become a legal procedure causing instability in other regions of the world. Therefore, the study of the right to self-determination as one of the important principles that is applied in certain circumstances and that can lead to instability is crucial. In my findings, I attempted to elaborate on the actual reasoning behind Russia's invasion of Ukraine, focusing on the oil and gas pipeline that runs through the country, on which Russia's economic and geopolitical reasoning is based. This paper emphasizes the current situation, what is the background of it and this paper tries to find out how to settle it without violence by mentioning UN Charter Article.