AW Abkhaz World
Menu	 HomeAbkhazia— Natural Heritage— Aiaaira: National Anthem — How to get to Abkhazia— Wine & Spirits of Abkhazia—— ProducersAbkhazians— Who are they?— Culture— Language— PersonalitiesHistoryAnalysisConflictBlog/sPublications— E-Library— Reviews— From The ArchivesContact
Aiaaira: National Anthem
How to get to Abkhazia
Wine & Spirits of Abkhazia
Abkhazians
Blog/s
Abkhazia's Divisive De Facto President Steps Down, by Liz Fuller
Stanislav Lakoba: "Thousands of people's destinies in Abkhazia were crushed"
Interview with Gunda Hewitt
Pages of a tragic history: an evening in memory of Saria…
Reflections on the history of Georgian and Abkhaz identity, by Stephen…
Songs, Dances and Wine: How "[Dance-ensemble] Sharatyn" Spent the Night with…
History on fire: how to restore the state-archive of Abkhazia
Estonians in Abkhazia by Aivar Jürgenson
Abkhazian History in a Nutshell, by Ky Krauthamer
Eternal love: "Romeo and Juliet" on the stage of Abkhazdram
The Legal Case for Russian Intervention in Georgia by Nicolai N. Petro
FORDHAM INTERNATIONAL LAW JOURNAL
VOLUME 32 MAY 2009 NO. 5
This article appears on pages 1524 to 1549 of this issue.
140 West 62nd Street, Room 2
THE LEGAL CASE FOR RUSSIAN INTERVENTION IN GEORGIA
Nicolai N. Petro*
Now that some time has passed since the events of early August, it is possible to examine the legal argument for Russia's military intervention in Georgia sine ira et studio. While such arguments do not, of course, provide a full explanation for Russia's intervention—that would require an examination of Russia's economic, political and military ambitions in the Caucasus—they do tell us a great deal about the context within which foreign policy decisions are made. It is therefore striking that so few western analysts bothered to seriously consider the legal arguments Russia put forward for what it calls its "peace enforcement" operation, a term introduced by former United Nations ("U.N.") Secretary Boutros Boutros-Ghali sixteen years ago.
Had greater attention been paid, it would have revealed the unusual degree to which Russia sought the support of international institutions for what its leadership clearly believed to be a solid legal case for humanitarian intervention. Since an appeal to legal argument is often considered a hallmark of the Western political tradition (and a weakness of the Russian political tradition), Russia's emphasis on the legal justification for intervention should be viewed as a significant step to the adaptation of Russian foreign policy to post-Soviet norms.
The full text in PDF can be downloaded by clicking here (208 KB)
* Nicolai N. Petro is professor of political science at the University of Rhode Island (USA). He is the author or editor of eight books on Russian politics, and has served as special assistant on Soviet affairs in the U.S. Department of State in 1989-90. Additional publications are available on his web site: www.npetro.net.
Transformation of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict: rethinking the paradigm, by Natella Akaba and Iraklii Khintba
Russia's involvement in the Five-day war as an act of humanitarian intervention, by Inal Sanakoev
The Lessons of August (2008), by Natella Akaba
The view from Abkhazia of South Ossetia ablaze, by Paula Garb
'Terrible Losses Overnight': Cables Track US Diplomatic Efforts to Avert Russian-Georgian Conflict, by Uwe Klussmann
Revelations from Tbilisi
Wiki Leaks and the South Ossetia War, by Patrick Armstrong
How the Russian-Georgian War Has Changed the World - Interview with Paul Goble
Interview with Professor Dr. Nicolai N. Petro
Letter to International Media companies by MFA Abkhazia
Why Can Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili Not Emulate Willi Brandt? by Liz Fuller
Weapons which were removed from the Kodor Valley, Information provided by the Ministry of Defence of Abkhazia
EU blames Georgia for starting war with Russia
Embracing Georgia, U.S. Misread Signs of Rifts, by C. J. Chivers
Lavrov: Russia's S.Ossetia, Abkhaz Decision Irreversible
More Analysis
The Dilemmas of Enlightenment in the Eastern Borderlands: The Theater and Library in Tbilisi, by Austin Jersild and Neli Melkadze
What Obama Should Learn From the Past?
Abkhazian futures, by Andrew Mueller
Russia's Accession to the WTO: Likely Impact on the Abkhaz Economy, by Beslan Baratelia
Commentary on the Resolution of the European Parliament for Georgia, 17 November 2011
Russia's Geopolitical Scales in the Caucasus, by Sergey Markedonov
Time is on Abkhaz side, by Laurent Vinatier
Could Abkhazia be smothered by its new best friend?, by Oliver Bullough
Abkhazian President Bagapsh in Ankara, by Hasan Kanbolat
'Bystander in its neighbourhood? The European Union's involvement in protracted conflicts in the post-Soviet space', by Marco Siddi & Barbara Gaweda
Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Role of Context, by Sergey Markedonov
Georgia is swimming in murky waters! By Fehim Tastekin
Abkhazia: two years of independence, by George Hewitt
Abkhazia Again 'Struggling for Independence' -- But Now Perhaps 'From Russia,' Moscow Observer Says, by Paul Goble
Azerbaijan's contribution to the isolation of Abkhazia
Comment on the Resolution of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly № 382 of 16th of November 2010. By Irakli Khintba
The Beginnings of a Black Sea Security Community? By Carol Weaver
Abkhazia's Inconclusive Election, by Anaid Gogoryan
Abkhazia, from conflict to statehood, by George Hewitt
Armenians and Abkhaz Ethnic Democracy – Current Trends, Future Prospects, by Richard Berge
Bush's Dangerous Game in the South Caucasus, by Sheldon Richman
A politician from the category of "inconvenient", by Alexander Krylov
A Georgian gambling in Caucasus, by Fehim Tastekin
De Facto Abkhaz President Says He Will Not Resign, by Liz Fuller
Lessons for Moscow, by Sergei Markedonov
Writing and Rewriting History: A Response to Ruslan Kesh by Metin Sonmez
Abkhazia's foreign relations, by Liana Kvarchelia
Ossetia war, what a change in three years, by Patrick Armstrong
Republic of Abkhazia (Apsny)
The Stalin-Beria Terror in Abkhazia, 1936-1953, by Stephen D…
Abkhazia: Ancients of the Caucasus (Healthy at 100), by John…
'Absence of Will': A commentary, prepared by Metin Sönmez
Origins and Evolutions of the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict, by S…
Kosovo or Abkhazia: Contrasts and Comparisons
The Stalin-Beria Terror in Abkhazia, 1936-1953, by Stephen D. Shenfield
Origins and Evolutions of the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict, by Stephen D. Shenfield
Elsewhere on the AW
TPPRA
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Abkhazia
Sukhum
The Republic of Abkhazia
Reports & Key Texts
Articles & Opinion
Abkhaz World
Abkhazia in Vision
Reflections on Abkhazia
InstAbkhazia
© 2009 - 2018 Abkhaz World. All rights reserved.