“In Focus” Syllabus Supplements: Russia’s War Against Ukraine (2022–2026)

Access the Russia’s War Against Ukraine (2022–2026) In Focus Syllabus Supplement via PDF here.

Table of Contents

SECTION I — The Crime of Aggression

SECTION II — International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law, and International Criminal Law

SECTION III — Reparations and Compensation

SECTION IV — NATO’s Role

SECTION V — The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court

A. The International Court of Justice

B. The International Criminal Court

SECTION VI — Sanctions and Economic Countermeasures

Resources and Trackers

Clara Apt and Viola Gienger, Tracking Russia’s Eliminationist Rhetoric Against Ukraine (Current as of February 2026; updated periodically)

SECTION I — The Crime of Aggression

1. Iryna Mudra, Ambassador Anton Korynevych, and Mark Ellis, From Commitment to Action: The Next Steps in Holding Russia’s Leaders Accountable for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (February 2026)
2. James A. Goldston and Esti Tambay, Memorandum for Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Committed Against Ukraine (October 2025)
3. Mark Ellis, International Law at the Precipice: Holding Leaders Accountable for the Crime of Aggression in Russia’s War Against Ukraine (April 2025)
4. Gaiane Nuridzhanian, International Enough? A Council of Europe Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression (June 2024)
5. Gaiane Nuridzhanian and Carrie McDougall, On Double Jeopardy, the ICC, and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression (January 2024)
6. Ryan Goodman, Toward an Interim Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (January 2023)
7. Oona Hathaway, The Case for Creating an International Tribunal to Prosecute the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (September 2022)
8. Tom Dannenbaum, Mechanisms for Criminal Prosecution of Russia’s Aggression (March 2022)

SECTION II — International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law, and International Criminal Law

1. Harold Hongju Koh, Madeline Babin, Kate Davidson, Saavni Desai, Samantha Kiernan, and Julian Watrous, Toward A Just and Lawful Peace in Ukraine, Part I: What Law Has Achieved (February 2026)
2. Kateryna Busol, History and International Law Proscribe Amnesties for Russian War Crimes (December 2025)
3. Tracey Begley, Why Ukraine-Russia Amnesty Would Violate Geneva Convention (December 2025)
4. Susan Farbstein, Targeting a Nation: Russian Airstrikes and the Crime of Persecution in Ukraine (May 2025)
5. Olga Butkevych, Rights of National Minorities in Armed Conflict: A Ukrainian Perspective (August 2024)
6. Mercedes Sapuppo and Shelby Magid, Death Toll Climbs in Ukraine With Russia’s ‘Double-Tap’ Strikes (July 2024)
7. Tom Dannenbaum, What You Need to Know: International Humanitarian Law and Russia’s Termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (July 2023)
8. Jelena Pejic, Expert Q&A on IHL Compliance in Russia’s War in Ukraine (April 2023)
9. Brian Finucane, The Prohibition on Indiscriminate Attacks: The US Position vs. the DoD Law of War Manual (May 2022)
10. Adil Ahmad Haque, The OSCE Report on War Crimes in Ukraine: Key Takeaways (April 2022)
11. Tom Dannenbaum, Legal Frameworks for Assessing the Use of Starvation in Ukraine (April 2022)
12. Maksym Vischchyk, Insight from Ukraine: Revitalizing Belief in International Law (March 2022)

SECTION III — Reparations and Compensation

1. Elena Chachko and Katerina Linos, The EU Discovers Emergency Powers: Russian Assets Edition (January 2026)
2. Harold Hongju Koh, Madeline Babin, Kate Davidson, Saavni Desai, Samantha Kiernan, and Julian Watrous, Toward A Just and Lawful Peace in Ukraine, Part II: Making Russia Pay for Ukrainian Reconstruction (February 2026)
3. Chiara Giorgetti, The Register of Damages for Ukraine Opens for Claims Submissions (May 2024)
4. Harold Hongju Koh, Past Time to Liquidate Russian Assets (March 2024)
5. Philippa Webb, Reparations for Ukraine: Three Proposals from Europe (February 2024)
6. Maggie Mills, Thomas Poston, and Oona A. Hathaway, How to Make Russia Pay to Rebuild Ukraine (February 2024)
7. Chiara Giorgetti, Markiyan Kliuchkovsky, Patrick Pearsall, and Jeremy K. Sharpe, Historic UNGA Resolution Calls for Ukraine Reparations (November 2022)
8. Laurie Blank, War Reparations for Ukraine: Key Issues (May 2022)
9. Chiara Giorgetti, Markiyan Kliuchkovsky, and Patrick Pearsall, Launching an International Claims Commission for Ukraine (May 2022)

SECTION IV — NATO’s Role

1. Ambassador Steven Pifer, A NATO Promise Not to Enlarge? No, Not Even According to Putin 1.0 (January 2026)
2. Michael Carpenter, The Fantasy of a European Reassurance Force for Ukraine (August 2025)
3. Philip Gordon, A Security Guarantee for Ukraine? Look to the Taiwan Relations Act (August 2025)
4. David J. Kramer and Ambassador (ret.) Ian Kelly, After the NATO Summit, Allies Need to Step Up Their Game on Ukraine, Russia, and China (July 2024)
5. Ambassador Daniel Fried, To Secure Peace in Europe, Bring Ukraine into NATO (March 2023)
6. Michael Schmitt, Expert Backgrounder: NATO Response Options to Potential Russia Cyber Attacks (February 2022)

SECTION V — The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court

A. The International Court of Justice

1. Oona A. Hathaway, Taking Stock of ICJ Decisions in the ‘Ukraine v. Russia’ Cases, and Implications for South Africa’s Case Against Israel (February 2024)
2. Ambassador Anton Korynevych and Marney Cheek, A Legal and Moral Victory for Ukraine: Vindicating Ukraine’s Legal Rights Before the International Court of Justice (March 2024)
3. Chimène Keitner, US Intervention in Ukraine v. Russia at the ICJ: A Q&A with Chimène Keitner (September 2022)
4. Chimène Keitner, Zoe Tatarsky, and Just Security, Q&A: The ICJ’s Order on Provisional Measures in Ukraine v. Russian Federation (March 2022)
5. Chimène Keitner, Zoe Tatarsky, and Just Security, Q&A (Part II): Ukraine at the International Court of Justice, Russia’s Absence, and What Comes Next (March 2022)
6. Chimène Keitner, Zoe Tatarsky, and Just Security, Q&A: Next Steps in Ukraine’s Application to the International Court of Justice (March 2022)

B. The International Criminal Court

1. Stephen Pomper, Assessing the ICC’s Impact in Ukraine (February 2026)
2. Tom Dannenbaum, Unforced Error: Article 124 and Ukraine’s Proposed ICC Ratification (August 2024)
3. Rebecca Hamilton, The ICC Goes Straight to the Top: Arrest Warrant Issued for Putin (March 2023)

SECTION VI — Sanctions and Economic Countermeasures

1. Taisa Markus, Lifting Russia Sanctions — What Can a President Do Unilaterally? (October 2024)
2. Federica Paddeu, Transferring Russian Assets: Some Reflections on Countermeasures (March 2024)
3. Chimène Keitner, Sovereign Immunity and Reparations in Ukraine (February 2024)
4. Chimène Keitner, Expert Q&A on Asset Seizure in Russia’s War in Ukraine (April 2023)
5. Benjamin Waldman & Elizabeth Goitein, The Russia Sanctions — How They Work and What Congress Needs to Know (March 2022)