FRANCIS BOYLE, (217) 333-7954, fboyle@illinois.edu
Professor of international law at the University of Illinois, Boyle said today: "Obviously a case can be made that Russia's actions violate international law. But we need to look at the actual circumstances of the case.
"First, it's obvious that -- given the U.S. government numerous illegal invasions, most clearly the invasion of Iraq, based on lies -- the US government is in no place to condemn Russia.
"But can principled observers? Perhaps, but they need to keep in mind numerous provocations, which have been escalating. The glorification of Nazis in Ukraine is a very real phenomena, the expansion of NATO is a serious threat to Russia. Recently the Ukrainian leadership stepped up their calls to be let into NATO. They even expressed their desire for nuclear weapons, effectively trying to reverse the 1994 Budapest Agreement. And the situation in the Donbass is very serious with the Ukrainian leadership effectively refusing to implement the Minsk Agreement.
"Now, Putin is obviously not Gandhi. But it's doubtful that any Russian leader would have accepted these conditions. Imagine what the US would do if Mexico was moving toward entering into a military alliance with China and talking of acquiring nuclear weapons.
"Indeed, we don't need such hypotheticals. JFK was fully prepared to invade Cuba if he could not get those missiles out peacefully by negotiations: 13 Days. Putin tried negotiations starting in December to get NATO out of Ukraine and got nowhere with the Bidenites: two months."
Francis A. Boyle
Law Building
504 E. Pennsylvania Ave.
Champaign IL 61820 USA
Phone: 217-333-7954
Fax: 217-244-1478
(personal comments only)
