Introduction

This collection on international law after the Ukraine War has been finalised in February 2025 as the world marks three years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The invasion followed years of escalating tensions, beginning with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, and marks the largest military conflict in Europe since the Second World War. The conflict has reignited debates as to whether international law is ‘true law’, 1 calling into question the relevance of international law and the capabilities of the international legal system (particularly when addressing matters relating to international peace and security, the use of force and territorial integrity) with some stating that the war ‘has weakened the international collective security system’. 2 In February 2025 we are now faced with a divided UN Security Council and competing draft resolutions on the conflict which has seen the US siding with Russia, as opposed to its European allies, in votes before the Council. 3 On the one hand, there is a European-drafted resolution condemning Russia’s actions and supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and on the other, a US drafted and voted-for resolution calling for an end to the conflict but containing no criticism of Russia. 4 The latter, Resolution 2774, which was adopted by a vote of 10 in favour and 5 abstentions (including France and the UK), 5 comes after the US Trump administration met with President Putin of Russia to engage in peace talks, ending the international isolation of Russia. 6 This collection therefore provides a contemporary review of international law in an era when the post–Cold War international world order is shifting, with the conflict in Ukraine reshaping Europe.