14 March 2026
The Enduring Delusion of a War of Civilizations
The United States administration has offered various mutually inconsistent justifications for its war against Iran, from regime change to pressure from Israel to self-defence for the homeland. If the people of Iran are seen by the Trump administration as adversaries in a global battle of civilizations and as enduring enemies of our “way of life”, then international law will be a fallacy and war inevitable, if not desirable. Peaceful co-existence will be just a temporary modus vivendi. Continue reading >>
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03 March 2026
International Law of Equals
The old, cherished post-war international legal order no longer exists. The stakes were clear even before the recent, blatantly illegal attack on Iran led by the United States and Israel. After attacking Venezuela in January, Donald Trump freely admitted that he was only interested in his own morality, not international law. Mark Carney and Emmanuel Macron articulated the antithesis to Trump in Davos. Both professed their commitment to a multilateral, rules-based order, placing predictability above high-handedness. Each vision has a history that can provide insight into the conditions for their success. Continue reading >>
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16 February 2026
Peace by Chairman
Das Board of Peace, gegründet am Rande des Weltwirtschaftsforums in Davos, inszeniert sich als pragmatischer Gegenentwurf zu den Vereinten Nationen. 60 Staaten wurden zur Mitarbeit eingeladen, 21 erklärten ihre Bereitschaft zum Beitritt. In Europa überwog jedoch die Skepsis. In Deutschland ist diese Skepsis auch verfassungsrechtlich begründet: Das Board weist institutionelle Defizite auf, konzentriert Entscheidungsbefugnisse und ist nicht hinreichend an die Mitgliedstaaten rückgebunden. Continue reading >>04 February 2026
Why US Sovereign Bases in Greenland Would Violate International Law
As the New York Times reported, President Trump and NATO have reached the framework of a deal that would grant the US sovereign bases over territories of Greenland. One of the officials present at the negotiations compared the proposed bases to the British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus. Establishing such bases constitutes a violation of international law and cannot validly be agreed to by Denmark or NATO. Continue reading >>
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03 February 2026
The End of an Era?
“I don't need international law.” This statement by US President Donald Trump is likely to go down in history. European countries should now remember their strengths. Even under the new global political circumstances, Europe remains a player whose economic weight cannot be ignored for the time being. More importantly, Europe stands for a normative alternative that holds global appeal in contrast to the imperial-feudalistic US vision of order. Continue reading >>16 January 2026
„Die NATO wäre tot“
Alles andere als eine US-Kontrolle über Grönland sei „inakzeptabel“. Mit diesen Worten hat Donald Trump diese Woche Sorgen vor einer US-Annexion Grönlands weiter geschürt. Während europäische Regierungen Dänemark ihre Unterstützung und Solidarität versichern, ist schon jetzt eines klar: Sollten die USA Grönland tatsächlich annektieren, wäre nichts mehr wie zuvor. Wir haben mit Marko Milanović darüber gesprochen, wie das Völkerrecht auf ein solches Szenario reagieren könnte – und was eine Annexion Grönlands für die Zukunft der NATO bedeuten würde. Continue reading >>14 January 2026
Remaking the United Nations
It has long been recognised that the institutional structure of the United Nations—most centrally, the veto power of the permanent members of the Security Council—is deeply problematic. What is now at stake is not whether the United Nations can be improved, but whether it can continue to function when its most powerful members openly exempt themselves from its core commitments. We have reached the point when the Charter’s principles require rethinking the UN’s institutional form. Continue reading >>06 January 2026
Europe Must Draw the Line
The long-term impact of U.S. intervention in Venezuela will not be decided in Caracas or Washington, but elsewhere. With intervention now framed as a standard policy instrument of the USA, it is the response of other states — including in Europe — that will determine whether the erosion of international law becomes normalised across regions. Continue reading >>05 January 2026
The Seizure of Maduro as a Repudiation of Legal Constraint
The Trump Administration’s armed attack on Venezuela and seizure of President Maduro does not even purport to serve the values of the international community. Its rhetoric dismisses communal interests and values with performative brazenness. It evokes a pre-Charter world of “spheres of influence,” where regional powers are licensed to pursue their own ends through imposition upon weaker neighbors. Continue reading >>18 December 2025