International Law Behind The Headlines

In November, Russia seized three Ukrainian vessels and crew members off the coast of Crimea in what then-U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley condemned as a violation of international law and “another reckless Russian escalation” in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Guest James Kraska explains the incident in the context of the conflict and legal disputes between Russia and the Ukraine, and discusses his views on the legal characterization of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the applicable international law, and the status of the Kerch Strait. Guest: James Kraska, Professor of Maritime Law at U.S. Naval War College