America’s top general has declared that Russia can’t be allowed to get away with its offensive in Ukraine “cost-free” because allowing such “aggression” would end the “global international security order” established after World War II.
“If this is left to stand, if there is no answer to this aggression, if Russia gets away with this cost-free, then so goes the so-called international order, and if that happens, then we’re entering into an era of seriously increased instability,” US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said on Tuesday in an interview with CNN.
Milley made his comments after a meeting of Western military leaders in Germany to discuss efforts to help Ukraine repel Russia’s offensive. Earlier this month, he called the conflict “the greatest threat to peace and security” during his 42-year career and said China and Russia seek to “fundamentally change the rules-based current global order.”
Milley didn’t explain whether in this “rules based international order” the same set of rules apply to everybody, equally. Ie. is it “symmetrical” or “asymmetrical.” Thus, if Russia intervenes in Syria at Damascus’ request and US/UK enter Syria, without Syrian or UN permission, he may believe that Moscow, not Washington, has broken the rules. Such an interpretation would run contrary to international law.