Both the West and Russia have been inconsistent and contradictory, about the principles governing these situations like in Donbass
The West is touting 'principles' that are the exact opposite of what it touted with Kosovo And Russia is touting 'principles' that are the exact opposite of what it touted with Chechnya
The international law is in fact simple ... 'self-determination of peoples' is a right more sacred than any existing national borders
Scotland has a legal right to declare independence at any time
This is per Article 1 of the United Nations Charter
And this is further clear from the 2010 Hague International Court judgement on the Kosovo case, which declared that - it is not illegal for a people to unilaterally declare their independence - this takes precedence over so-called 'sovereign borders' and thus - it was not illegal for Kosovo to ask for help from NATO against Serbia/Yugoslavia (tho the way NATO did that may well have involved war crimes) - it remains legal for Kosovo to merge with Albania if they wish
Russia cites the Kosovo case, as proving that Donbass has a right to separate from Ukraine ... and to merge with Russia
but the Kosovo case also means that Chechya had a right to separate from Russia, and it was illegal of Russia to kill Chechens to stop their right of independence
and also Taiwan has a right to stay independent of China and also Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang with its Uighurs, all have a right to rebel
Kurds have a right to their state free of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria
Catalonia has a right to be free of Spain ... and so on
Both the West and Russia have been inconsistent and contradictory, about the principles governing these situations like in Donbass
ReplyDeleteThe West is touting 'principles' that are the exact opposite of what it touted with Kosovo
And Russia is touting 'principles' that are the exact opposite of what it touted with Chechnya
The international law is in fact simple ... 'self-determination of peoples' is a right more sacred than any existing national borders
Scotland has a legal right to declare independence at any time
This is per Article 1 of the United Nations Charter
And this is further clear from the 2010 Hague International Court judgement on the Kosovo case, which declared that
- it is not illegal for a people to unilaterally declare their independence
- this takes precedence over so-called 'sovereign borders'
and thus
- it was not illegal for Kosovo to ask for help from NATO against Serbia/Yugoslavia (tho the way NATO did that may well have involved war crimes)
- it remains legal for Kosovo to merge with Albania if they wish
Russia cites the Kosovo case, as proving that
Donbass has a right to separate from Ukraine ... and to merge with Russia
but the Kosovo case also means that
Chechya had a right to separate from Russia, and it was illegal of Russia to kill Chechens to stop their right of independence
and also
Taiwan has a right to stay independent of China
and also
Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang with its Uighurs, all have a right to rebel
Kurds have a right to their state free of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria
Catalonia has a right to be free of Spain ... and so on