Russia’s war on Ukraine in international law and human rights bodies: Bringing institutions back in

In the midst of war, human rights and international law institutions have responded with unprecedented speed to the unfolding crisis, not least due to the strong engagement of the Ukraine government in multilateral fora. While these institutions can deliver little immediate relief for Ukraine citizens, the initiatives have important political functions: they show the political and legal alternatives to the logic of war chosen by the Russian government; they contribute to formalising international consensus and providing independent legal assessments of the attack; and, most importantly, they prepare the ground to ensure accountability for crimes committed in the context of the war. .