Crimea Responsibility to Protect and Self-Determination under Article 2 of the UN Charter

Abstract

The annexation of the Crimean Peninsula has sparked the debate on state sovereignty in the context of international law. This research aims to establish the legal consequences of Russia’s annexation and the global communities' measures. The study also discusses Kosovo's independence and whether it can be used to solve the crisis in Crimea. International law has outlined some of the rules that are meant to govern the relationship between states. Russia is a signatory to the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances alongside other countries such as the United States, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. The memorandum had all the signatories strive to uphold the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea. The Russian constitution stipulates that any acquisition of new federal subjects must be made with the consent of the affected state. The annexation of the Crimean Peninsula appears clearly to contravene these provisions.