Kremlin claims international law "no longer exists" and vows to build up Russia's potential

Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, has complained that international law no longer exists and said Russia needs to focus on its own interests and build up its capabilities.

Source: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a comment to Russian propagandist Pavel Zarubin

Details: Commenting on events in the Middle East, Peskov initially said: "Nothing like this has ever happened in human history." When Zarubin pointed out that weapons were not as powerful in the past, Peskov replied: "We weren't alive then, so it seems to us that it's the end of the world now."

He spoke of the significant destabilisation in the region and the cumulative effect of the huge number of regional conflicts and unresolved issues, which are causing both economic and political repercussions.

Quote: "Sadly, we have all lost what we call international law. To be honest, I don't even know how to call on anyone to adhere to the norms and principles of international law. It no longer exists. It exists de jure, but de facto it no longer exists. What kind of law has replaced international law? It's unlikely anyone can tell at this point…

That's why Putin is right – in the face of the perfect storm that has now begun, we need to focus on ourselves, our interests, our potential. Where we are falling short, we need to build ourselves up. And we need to think clearly and stay focused."

Why this matters: Russia grossly violated international law by occupying Ukraine's Crimea and launching aggression in Ukraine's Donbas region in 2014. Since 2022, Russia has been waging an unprovoked, brutal full-scale war against Ukraine under false pretexts and with ill-defined objectives. Yet it does not deem this to be a violation of international law.

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