The secession of Crimea from Ukraine: an international law perspective

Abstract

The secession of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 was one of the most talked-about issues by the media, politicians, and decision-makers. The secession worsened relations between the West and Russia thereby, threatening international peace and security. This paper looks at the secession of Crimea from Ukraine from an international law perspective. The goal of the paper is to examine whether Crimea’s secession from Ukraine was legal or illegal under international law. This paper argues that the secession of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and its subsequent incorporation into Russia is illegal under international law because Russia intervened in Crimea. On the one hand, the findings of this paper support my central thesis/ argument. On the other hand, the findings of this study revealed that proponents of Crimea’s secession from Ukraine like Russia argue that the secession of Crimea is legal under international law because of international laws on self –determination and because Crimea’s secession from Ukraine is similar to Kosovo’s secession from Serbia.