Ukrainians have the right to expel aggressors from their land, seek reparations and receive effective guarantees of non-repetition, but Ukrainians cannot turn into criminals. Read more in the exclusive blog for Channel 24 website.
Goal of Defense
Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom. For the right to live in their own state as a free nation. The goal of Ukraine was emphasized in one of the president's interviews: “The liberation of all Ukrainian territories from Russian invaders.”
Appeals “to Taganrog, Moscow or the Kuril Islands” go against the goals formulated at the level of the competent authorities of the state. Incitement to forcibly change the borders of a functioning sovereign state, even if it is an aggressor and its regime is terrorists, goes against the fundamental principles of international law: sovereign equality, territorial integrity and inviolability of state borders.
Alternative:recognition of the right to self-determination of subjects that exist on the territory of Russia and were forcibly incorporated into it, and, consequently, the collapse of Russia. Russians kill, torture and rape Ukrainians, deport children and adults, destroy our cities, take out and destroy cultural heritage, violate the laws and customs of warfare, openly commit international crimes.
At the everyday level, we have the right to wish them to feel the horror of an armed conflict in their own skin. But this is a moral right. In the public space, information is subject to regulation.
Moreover, international law provides for 5 types of prohibited information, regardless of its form of expression:
- war propaganda;
- inciting genocide or other international crimes;
- spreading hate speech: encouraging discrimination, hostility or violence;
- child pornography;
- incitement to commit terrorism.
Ukrainians have felt for themselves how it is when Russian wives encourage sexual violence against Ukrainians, propagandists call for the drowning of Ukrainian children, and clergy to castrate Ukrainian men. But such behavior of the enemy will not make the rhetoric “we must kill them all” legitimate. Russia has demonstrated to the world that we are not to take, so why behave like that?
Alternative: increased efforts for the victory of Ukraine, the return of all occupied territories and the motto “without you” for years to come .
What kind of Russians can be killed
The aggressive war unleashed by Russia, which launched a set of norms of international humanitarian law, turned a separate group of Russians into legitimate targets for liquidation. These are combatants and other persons directly involved in the conduct of hostilities.
So to wish for long Russian corpse-kilometers on Ukrainian soil is legal from the point of view of international law. Also, an armed conflict allows the destruction of enemy military facilities: therefore, the call for a “rocket to Moscow” should be interpreted as encouraging the Ukrainian military to strike at the composition of weapons or the place of concentration of the command of the armed forces of the enemy, who gives orders to terrorize peaceful Ukrainian cities and civilians.
Interestingly, Putin himself is a legitimate target for assassination. As the supreme commander of the armed forces of the aggressor country, who decides to continue and commit new international crimes, he can be destroyed on a lucky occasion.
In turn, it is forbidden to kill and encourage murder or other crimes against the civilian population the aggressor State and persons not taking an active part in the armed conflict, in particular prisoners of war.
Alternative:in accordance with the norms of international law, force the Russians to pay reparations for the damage caused to Ukraine and Ukrainians, as well as provide satisfaction – recognition of the criminality of their deeds and forgiveness.
Why it is dangerous to hate
The dissemination of internationally prohibited information is a crime, and those responsible, even if they are true Ukrainian patriots, must be held accountable. At the same time, her character directly depends on the status of the individual: it is one thing to express her vision of the Russians at home, and another to show through the screen for hundreds of thousands of viewers.
The danger also lies in the fact that such rhetoric of hatred plays into the hands of Russia: “We told you that we have been infringing on Russians for 8 years, here's the evidence.” And then interviews, podcasts, screenshots from your favorite channel or public. Russia has been winning the information war for many years, so making a compilation that is convincing even for international instances will not be a problem.
With calls on Moscow and “barbecue from Russians” you can harm Ukraine in the UN International Court of Justice< /strong>, where one of the issues to be considered is the absence in Russia of legitimate grounds for the protection of Russians in our state. And the negative result will be not only for the state, but also for hundreds of thousands of victims, whom this instance can help realize the right to truth and fair compensation.
After all, more than 80 years ago, the Soviets fought against Nazism, and they themselves developed its worst version, adopting the tactics of mass extermination of people. From this point of view, Russia is the devoted successor of the USSR.
Pyrrhic victory for Ukrainians will be the implementation of the principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Ukraine has its own way. After the restoration of territorial integrity, it lies in the society of developed democratic countries.
Together with the victory of Ukraine, the strength of international law will be established and the path will begin to restore justice in relation to the millions of victims of Russian aggression, who, although not legally, but morally the right to hate your neighbor.
