Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a violation of international law, and the country´s conduct during hostilities has raised concern. This triggers questions about the international legal order itself, but also Russia’s relations to international law in general, and to international humanitarian law in particular. Is international law universal or are there various versions of it? What is Russia’s take on international law? What ideas does Russia connect to international law and how does it use them? How does it see international humanitarian law today? How does Russia’s perspective of international law affect management of global problems and relations to international institutions?
Puhujat
Professor of International Law, University of Tartu
Lauri Mälksoo is Professor of International Law at the University of Tartu in Estonia and member of the Institut de Droit International. He is the author of numerous publications on Russian and Soviet approaches to international law including the monograph ”Russian Approaches to International Law” (OUP, 2015) and the edited volume (together with Wolfgang Benedek) ”Russia and the European Court of Human Rights: The Strasbourg Effect” (CUP, 2017).
Acting Director, Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Tarja Långström serves as the Acting Director of the Unit for Public International Law at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Previously she held the position of Legal Adviser at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the European Union (2011-2015). Her earlier assignments within the Ministry include postings in Bern and New York. She holds a Doctor’s degree in Law from the University of Helsinki (2002) and a Master of Laws from Fordham Law School, New York (2001). She is the author of the monograph ”Transformation in Russia and International Law” (Brill, 2003).
Programme Director, FIIA
Katja Creutz is Programme Director of the Global Security research programme. Her main field of expertise is international law and especially issues of responsibility, human rights and global governance. Dr Creutz holds a Doctor of Laws degree and a Master of Laws programme degree from the University of Helsinki and a Master of Political Science from Åbo Akademi University. She has previously worked as Research Fellow at the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights of the University of Helsinki. She is the author of the monograph ”State Responsibility in the International Legal Order: A Critical Appraisal” (CUP, 2020).