On May 9th, 2025, an international coalition of almost 40 states, senior legal experts of the European Commission, the European External Action Service, the Council of Europe, and Ukraine, together officially endorsed the creation of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. This represents a significant step toward holding Russia accountable for its illegal war and violations of international law. This blog post seeks to examine in greater detail the development, structure, and prospective functioning of the Tribunal, while situating it within the broader framework of international law. In parallel, it aims to formulate policy recommendations whereby Germany might continue its active support for Ukraine in the legal domain and reaffirm its commitment to upholding the rules-based international order.
Kategorie: English
How Crisis Crosses Borders: Myanmar’s Civil War Shattered a Chinese Border Boomtown
Civil wars may not respect national boundaries. As civil war escalates in Myanmar, its consequences are being felt across the border in unexpected ways. In China’s Yunnan province, the city of Ruili has faced significant economic challenges. Once a thriving hub for trade and industry, the closure of border crossings, the collapse of trade routes, factory shutdowns, and the decline of the jade market have all weakened Ruili’s economic foundation. This article examines how a civil war within one state has profoundly disrupted the economy and social fabric of a neighboring country.
Voting for Peace Down Under? The 2025 Australian Election in a Tumultuous World
The 2025 Australian federal election happened during a tumultuous time, characterised by geopolitical competition, the climate crisis, and cost of living pressures. The rise of right-wing extremism in many countries and the erosion of the rules-based international order added to the mix. Australians overwhelmingly voted for a moderate government that, despite significant challenges, will facilitate international cooperation and peace-enhancing policies.
Terrorist Attack in Baisaran Valley: Ramifications on India’s Domestic Politics
On April 22nd, terrorists targeted tourists in Baisaran Valley, Kashmir, India, resulting in the deaths of 26 people. Since the attack, tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors have escalated. India and Pakistan have fought multiple wars over the disputed territory of Kashmir, which both countries claim. This article will examine the political ramifications within India, particularly through the lens of right-wing discourse. It will contextualise the multiple dynamics of the terrorist attack on India’s secularism and diversity, as the majoritarian political ecosystem constructed and weaponised narratives for ideological and political advantages.
The Politics of Silence in Turkey: The Armenian Genocide on Its 110th Anniversary and a Memory Under Siege
As the world marks the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on 24 April 2025, the enduring power of denialism continues to shape how the Genocide is remembered—or deliberately forgotten. Since the centennial in 2015, Turkey has significantly altered its denial policy in response to evolving international norms surrounding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
A Sober Perspective for the Negotiating Table: Europe Must Contribute Diplomatically to Ending the War in Ukraine and Shape the Withdrawal of the US
Despite the deadlocked military situation for Ukraine and the policy shift in the US, Germany and Europe still lack a negotiating strategy for a diplomatic solution. But only military support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia are not going to end the war on the most favorable terms for Kyiv. As difficult as it may be, positive offers equally needed. Europe’s confrontation with President Trump’s diplomatic efforts will also not help to achieve more European sovereignty. Rather, we will have to negotiate with him and President Putin about the future of Ukraine and our own security architecture. Instead of panicking and investing solely in the military, European governments should therefore pull themselves together and, above all, seize the diplomatic opportunity to secure their fate.
Pragmatic Solutions to an Abstract Problem? How Cities are Addressing Climate Migration
It has been about three months since the catastrophic wildfires broke out on January 7, 2025, devastating the US city of Los Angeles. The fires destroyed thousands of homes and displaced their residents. These wildfires also highlighted the many facets of climate migration: the urgency of the climate crisis, manifold reasons why people move, and the crucial role of cities, not just as sites of climate impacts but also as actors in addressing climate migration. Amid a rather abstract discussion about climate migrants, cities offer the chance to address the needs of people on the move because of the climate crisis more substantially and practically.
Without a Caliphate, But Far from Defeated: Why Da’esh/ISIS Remains a Threat in Syria in 2025
Since the fall of its self-proclaimed caliphate in 2019, ISIS remains a persistent threat in Syria. As of 2025, according to US estimates, more than 2,500 active fighters continue to operate in Syria and Iraq, while thousands of battle-hardened ISIS militants are held in Syrian prisons – posing a serious risk if released, especially through orchestrated prison breaks. Additionally, thousands of ISIS-affiliated individuals remain in detention camps, where they are vulnerable to radicalization and recruitment. Following the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad Ba’ath regime, the tenuous control of the new Syrian government, combined with ongoing violence, could further strengthen ISIS’s capabilities, allowing jihadists to regroup, sustain their presence, and potentially expand their influence once again.
Europe’s Defence Dilemma: Rising Militarization Amidst Industrial Fragmentation and Weak Export Controls
The issue of arming Germany and the EU countries is currently dominating the headlines. The threat posed by Putin’s Russia and the uncertainty as to whether the USA under Trump will still stand by its security policy commitments within NATO have prompted the EU states to embark on a massive rearmament program. However, the EU Commission is currently setting the pace with the publication of the new White Paper and a series of defence industry programs. The discussion about the considerable arms expenditure obscures the focus on the fragmentation and competition among the European arms industry, the differences in threat analysis between the EU nation states, and the possible risks and problems of lowering the standards of German and European arms export policy.
Maintaining the Rules-Based International Order: How Europe can Stand up to the Superpowers as an Alliance of Small States
When Western voices described the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as an attack on the “rules-based” or “liberal” international order, it was always implied that it was Western states, and the USA in particular, that safeguarded international law after the Second World War. However, it was primarily Afro-Asian states that defended the rules-based order during the Cold War when aggressions challenged the inviolability of international borders. A closer look at this history can help to develop concepts for the validity of international norms – especially for a Europe that is in danger of becoming an object of great power politics in the future.
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