“Who pays for the terrible destruction wrought by war?” write Maggie Mills, Thomas Poston, and Oona Hathaway, in the first article in our series on reparations for Russia’s war against Ukraine, published today. Forthcoming articles will grapple with the complexities of this question, including what international law requires in making reparations, and what limits it places on the means of doing so.

What constraints, for example, does the doctrine of sovereign immunity pose on seizure of Russian assets – and what avenues remain open? How are different jurisdictions approaching reparations under national or regional law, and how do (or don’t) those frameworks track with international law? Other pieces will provide updates on the international claims commission on Ukraine and proposals for how the doctrine of collective countermeasures might be used in the reparations context. Across these topics, the series will feature leading international law scholars, including Ukrainian voices and critical perspectives.

Articles will be listed here as they are published:

IMAGE: Meeting of the General Assembly for a special session in the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters on Nov. 14, 2022 in New York City, to hold a vote on a draft resolution brought by the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, calling for the UNGA to create an “international register” to document claims of damage, loss, or injury to Ukrainians caused by Russia. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)