My friend Madeleine Albright and I met while colleagues at Georgetown University. In June 2015, I welcomed her in The Hague for the inaugural lecture in the series established in her name by The Hague Institute for Global Justice and the Brookings Institution.
In an unflinching and passionate speech, she pointed to the “many important countries” lacking leaders who believe in the rule of law, “including Russia”. She went on: “By invading and annexing parts of Ukraine, President Putin has ignored international law. And through his attacks on his enemies, including civil society and the free press, Putin has turned Russia’s domestic laws into a tool of repression.
“President Putin’s actions, and the actions of many leaders of his ilk, remind us that while law can provide the moral basis for a just and human society, the imposition of unjust statutes creates a platform for tyranny.”
