The law of war

• International law in the context of the current Russian military threat to Ukraine: options for peacefully settling disputes, and the measures available under international criminal law.

At the time of writing, Europe appears to be on the brink of a major war as the Russian Federation has amassed 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine. It is unclear whether Russia intends to occupy the whole of Ukraine, setting up a puppet government, or whether it intends to take part of Eastern Ukraine as a buffer zone. Russia believes that Ukraine is in its sphere of influence and does not want it to join NATO. Russia is already threatened by the Baltic states being members of NATO, and wants NATO out of Eastern Europe. There have been talks with the US, but it is unlikely that the Russian demands will be met and that makes an invasion more likely.

President Putin has taken this action now because the West