Opinion: Putin’s crimes of aggression must be tried in court

Philippe Sands - There is currently no way for the crime of aggression in Ukraine to be investigated, which could mean that the people at the top are let off the hook says Professor Philippe Sands (UCL Laws). The decision to wage a war in Ukraine, and to continue its prosecution, is manifestly illegal. It cannot be justified under international law, since it does not amount to self-defence, has not been authorised by the Security Council, and serves no humanitarian purpose. Quite the opposite. This war gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for those who have prosecuted it: President Putin, his inner circle, its financiers and others who contribute materially. At Nuremberg the idea was introduced by the Soviet jurist Aron Trainin, as a crime against peace, and the judges called it "the universal crime". Today it is known as the crime of aggression.