Russia-Ukraine War, International Law, and US Rebuilding Global Control

Responses to Peer Posts
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Instructor’s Name
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Response to Question A
Hello. Thank you for sharing this informative post. Although I agree with you that the West could use democratic theory to push for intended gains, I have reservations regarding the Russia-Ukraine war. I do not think that Russia’s President Putin attacked Ukraine since he felt democracy was infringing on his country’s powers. The president wants the world to believe that NATO was responsible for the invasion. The argument that the reason behind the invasion was NATO's enlargement has several flaws. First, Putin can be said to be pushing for an anti-democratic regime change. This assertion is true because he attacked a democratic state f choosing to join another front. The NATO membership does not pause any clear and direct threat to the well-being of Russia. Putin feels that democracy should not be accepted not only in neighboring nations but all over the world. He sees this form of governance as a threat to his regime. Therefore, preventing Ukraine alone from joining NATO will not alleviate the president’s fears and insecurities regarding the continued practice of democracy. On the other hand, NATO has not been a constant source of tension between the West and Russia but a variable (Person & McFaul 2022, 18). At some point during negotiations, Moscow even acknowledged Ukraine’s joining NATO as a right of the country and its people. It is unclear why Putin would acknowledge that Ukraine was not wrong to form alliances but still attack the country for doing the same. Democratic breakthroughs are what irritates Putin.
Reference
Person, R., & McFaul, M. (2022). What Putin fears most? Journal of Democracy, 33(2), 18-27.
Response to Question B
Hello. Your arguments regarding the value of international law are strong and appealing. Particularly, I agree with you that international regulations are essential in ensuring global peace. A survey supports your stand by indicating that international law must be functionally geared toward protecting fundamental human rights and establishing peace between countries (Bailliet 2017, 308). Pursuing peace calls for commitment and patience to global legal institutions and norms. For example, although there are exceptions, the UN Charter prohibits nations from using military force against member states. To some degree, this law also prevents such actions against nations that are not members if they...