US recognition of Russia's Crimea annexation threatens global order, warns Atlantic Council expert

A leading scholar from the Atlantic Council has warned that US recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea would strike at the heart of the United Nations Charter and pose a significant threat to the global order.

Peter Dickinson, who oversees the Atlantic Council’s UkraineAlert publication, emphasized that “Any US recognition of Russia’s seizure of Crimea would represent a direct attack on the United Nations Charter,” Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

He explained that the UN, founded after World War II, was designed to prevent territorial changes by force, aiming to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” The key principle in the UN Charter, outlined in Article 2, states that all members must refrain from using force against another state’s territorial integrity.

Russia’s attempt to annex Crimea, which began with its military occupation in 2014, contradicts this fundamental principle. Dickinson warned that US legitimization of this territorial conquest would endanger the entire international security framework protected by the UN.

He further cautioned that such a move could embolden Russia to expand its territorial ambitions, potentially leading to further aggression against other former Soviet states, such as Poland, Finland, and the Baltic countries. "Putin’s imperial ambitions are not limited to Ukraine," Dickinson asserted, highlighting concerns that a victory in Ukraine could spark future wars of conquest.

The Atlantic Council scholar also warned that the US distancing itself from its NATO allies in favor of rapprochement with Russia could disrupt the Transatlantic alliance. Dickinson noted that former French President François Hollande recently remarked that the US under President Trump has caused a “profound break with Europe.”

Amid growing concerns over US foreign policy shifts, Dickinson pointed out that Ukraine’s military, now the largest in Europe with cutting-edge defense technologies, may soon become the EU’s primary protector in the face of Russian aggression. He concluded, “If Ukraine falls, Europeans know they are totally unprepared to face a triumphant and battle-hardened Russian army.”

By Vafa Guliyeva