Sanctioning Russia: Questions on the Legality and the Legitimacy of the Measures Imposed Against the Invasion of Ukraine

Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, an unprecedented level of cooperation has been achieved among a group of like-minded States – encompassing G7 members as well as Australia, Switzerland, and South Korea – in imposing sanctions against the Russian Federation. In particular, the European Union has taken various rounds of restrictive measures against Russia: a combination of targeted sanctions against government élites and a more comprehensive package of measures of commercial and financial character. A key issue is that of their legality under international law. In the view of the EU, its restrictive measures are fully compliant with international obligations. They are in any event justified as a response to the Russia’s aggression, one of the most serious breaches of the fundamental rules of the international community. But other States disagree: they claim that the only legitimate sanctions are those adopted by the UN Security Council and unilateral measures are always an unlawful intervention in the internal affairs of the targeted State.