Rowan Nicholson

Guest writer

Rowan Nicholson is a lecturer in international law at Flinders University in Adelaide. He has served as co-director of the Sydney Centre for International Law at the University of Sydney and has worked on cases before the International Court of Justice about genocide and border disputes

Ukrainians take part in military training for civilians as part of the Don’t Panic! Prepare! campaign, amid threat of Russian invasion. (Photo: Mykola Tys/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, additional design by Tina Tiller)

How Russia’s recognition of breakaway parts of Ukraine set the stage for invasion

The 'recognition' is clearly illegal, but its language makes Russia's invasion of Ukraine look a little less brazen.

By Rowan Nicholson | 23rd February, 2022