Responsibility to Protect (R2P): The Case of Ukraine

Author: Keso Gigitashvili

Editor: Dr Seb Bytyci

This report examines how the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine has been tested, contested, and politically manipulated in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian War. It analyses Russia’s misuse of R2P rhetoric to legitimise aggression, Ukraine’s attempts to uphold the doctrine’s core principles under conditions of war, and the broader limitations of international protection mechanisms when confronted by geopolitical paralysis at the United Nations Security Council.

Drawing on legal, political, and humanitarian analysis, the paper argues that Ukraine exposes both the enduring normative value of R2P and its profound operational weaknesses. In particular, it shows how the doctrine’s implementation remains dependent on political consensus among major powers, even in the face of documented mass atrocities.

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EIR REPORT MARCH 2026 R2P.pdf

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