Like? Is anyone who starts a war a “war criminal” now?
If it’s because Russia’s killed civilians (whether intentionally or just because they didn’t care enough in pursuit of their military objectives), then, like, isn’t basically every Western leader + Biden a “war criminal”? How would you ever create a standard that could include him but not others?
And if they are all “war criminals” then why would you support one over the other? I don’t get this conversation.
And even if you had to, like, in what world would it make sense to think that Putin is worse than Netanyahu or the Western leaders who arm and support him?
Every poll, even ones conducted by Western orgs, showed that a strong majority of Crimeans wanted to join Russia after the Ukrainian ultra-nationalists took power in 2014. There was also a blowout election (which was predictably called illegitimate by the West). Annexing Crimea was one of the most defensible things Russia did.
Russia, nor Russian citizens were attacked in Crimea, therefore it does not reach the criteria for a defensive action. If we admit a possible future threat to a leased military base on foreign soil as a basis for legitimate invasion the US has much more valid excuses for its crimes
international law is not complicated on this, it is forbidden to occupy another soverign territory without being attacked. Russia was not attacked! there are two rhetorical paths available, you can deny the rules of the UN et al as imperialist/whatever OR you can litigiously apply it to all actors in violation which 90% of the time is the west.
I think it’s worth besmirching a neolib shithead like putin to be able to accuse the imperial powers of violating their own standards, but if you want to abandon those bases you can always try to argue that elections and referendums performed under military occupations are 100% legit i guess
