The Global Mirror of War: Chinese Technology, American Strategy, and the New Geopolitics of the Conflict in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine is one of the most serious violations of the postwar international order based on the rules of international law, in particular the prohibition of the use of force, respect for the sovereignty of states and the inviolability of borders.

The full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation launched in February 2022 has not only led to mass crimes against the civilian population and the destruction of state infrastructure but also tested the existing legal accountability mechanisms and the capability of the international community to enforce these.

As the conflict drags on, the war has ceased to be exclusively bilateral. It has become a multidimensional process in which battlefield operations are inextricably linked to political, economic and technological decisions made outside the sphere of direct hostilities. Russian aggression today operates in a broader global context in which third countries play an important role, both by indirectly supporting the aggressor's war capabilities and by shaping the narratives on acceptable ways to end the conflict.

In this sense, the war in Ukraine reveals the tension between the normative order of international law and the practice of great power politics. On the one hand, we see a systematic undermining of the sanctions regime and circumvention of the restrictions imposed on the aggressor state through the use of economic and technological instruments. On the other, there are concepts of ending the war that emphasize political pragmatism and geopolitical stabilization, often at the expense of clear accountability for violations of international law and the responsibility of the perpetrators.

This dynamic raises fundamental questions about the future of the international system of responsibility for aggression. These must be asked as regards both the scope of responsibility of states indirectly supporting the aggressor and the limits of acceptable political compromise in a situation of ongoing violation of mandatory norms. The analysis of the war in Ukraine cannot therefore be limited solely to its military or diplomatic dimensions. It must take into account the legal consequences of actions taken by international actors and their impact on the sustainability of the rules that have so far formed the foundation of security in Europe and beyond.

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