‘Are you a Russian spy?’ The question came over dinner, between the grilled vegetables and the tongue with mushrooms, in the opulent House of Scientists in Lviv, western Ukraine. At the ‘Stand Tall for the Rule of Law Summit,’ held from 8-10 December 2023, American and Ukrainian officials, legal advisers, and academics gathered to support Ukraine’s ‘lawfare’ – strategizing how to use law to help win the war and uphold the international legal order. Hillary Clinton sponsored the dinner. Was I a spy? Well, I was listening.
What I heard – and didn’t – from this group of influential American international lawyers gathered on the 75th anniversary of the Genocide Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, says a lot about the challenges confronting Ukraine, America, and the international order we’re fighting for. Correction: Ukrainians are fighting for, and Americans are funding.
Around the same time, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy was in Washington again. The message: Ukraine needs money or Russia might win. A negotiating technique, but the rhetorical shift is telling: Before, predictions of victory; now, it’s about not losing.
Republicans are linking aid to a migration deal, but Democrats also increasingly question what America’s commitments should be. President Biden previously pledged support “as long as it takes,” now “as long as we can.” Privately, Pentagon officials talk of stalemate – and Ukrainians too – meaning a frozen conflict or negotiated peace.
Read more at
https://www.ejiltalk.org/what-i-didnt-hear-at-the-international-law-conference-in-ukraine/
