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Ukraine.TheinternationalcredibilityoftheMinisterhimself,
andthestateherepresents,isobviouslyavalue.But
isitvaluableenough?Itwouldnotseemtobevalued
byastatethatmakesviolationofinternationallaw
aninstrumentofitsforeignpolicy.Russiahasalreadypaid
ahighreputationalprice,andinthefuturewhenopting
torebuilditspositionintheinternationalcommunity
thecountrywillhavetoaddressthepoliticalandlegal
contentionsitisnowdiffusingsocarelessly.
ItshouldalsobenotedthatinneitherKosovonorIraqdid
anystateannexanother’sterritory.Rather,eachofthose
interventionsinvolvedacoalition,andwasmandated
bytheUNevenifthesaidmandatedidnotextendsofar
astowarranttheintervention.But,evenifweagreethat
themandatesinbothoftheabovecasesweretenuous,far-
fetchedandinsufficient,thatisnottosaythattheydidnot
existatall.Indeed,therecanbenodoubtthatwewould
beinadifferentplacerightnowifRussiacouldproduceeven
theweakestandmostcontrivedofUNmandates,andwere
backedbyeventhesmallestofcoalitions.Butnothing
ofthesorthasoccurred,asweknow.Instead,wehave
aclearlyunilateralannexationofCrimeathathasnotbeen,
andwillneverbe,condonedbytheinternational
community.
Allofthiswillnotbechangedbyattemptstoimpartsome
kindofsacredimportancetoCrimea(suchascalling
ita“RussianJerusalem”7)ortoinvalidatethe1954decision
toincorporateCrimeaintotheUkrainianSovietSocialist
Republic.Bothapproachesspeaklessofanycreativitythan
ofaratherlowleveloflegalawarenessonthepartoftheir
authors.8
Postfactum
,thereisnowayofgivingasemblance
oflegalitytotheRussianmovestowardsUkraine.
Itisbeyondanydoubtthatoverthe1991–2014period,
RussiadidnotquestionUkraine’ssovereigntyover
theCrimeanPeninsula.IfRussiahadmadeterritorialclaims
againstUkraine,oranyotherneighbour,backin1991,
thequestionofrecognisingthecountryasalegalsuccessor
totheUSSR,withaPermanentSeatattheUNSecurity
Council,couldhavebeenviewedquitedifferently.The
assumptionbyRussiaoftheUSSR’srightsattheUNrequired
unanimousagreementbyallUNmembers,including