International law and double standards

Former head of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger expressed the view that U.S. actions in Venezuela call into question the argument that Russia had no right to interfere in Ukraine's affairs.

He noted that if the United States can intervene in Venezuela without a UN mandate, the argument against Russian interference becomes a political and international legal weakness. Ischinger cited the example of the U.S. in 2003, when it sought to justify the invasion of Iraq at the UN Security Council, and similar scenarios in Kosovo from 1999 to 2008. "Complete disregard for the Security Council," he noted, "is not news: Crimea, 2014, but it is no longer an exception."

He emphasized that global practice has forced the realization that any intervention without a UN mandate undermines global norms, but the realpolitik of great powers is almost always placed above legal arguments. "This has become the norm for superpowers, not a challenge to the law," the expert added. Thus, Ischinger argues that the United States, despite established rules, has pursued policies based on its own interests rather than international law.

Context

In 2003, the United States sought to justify military intervention in Iraq through the UN Security Council, while in 2014, it paid less attention to international norms regarding the annexation of Crimea.