With the recent discovery of a series of suspected war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and the fear of a new Eastern offensive, Western sanctions on Russia have reached a new high. The European Union (EU) seems more determined than ever before to restrict the importation of Russian oil and gas, while the U.S. and the U.K. keep targeting financial assets and oligarchs.
Seen as the lesser of two evils against a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and a nuclear power still supported by strategic allies, sanctions offer a seemingly efficient alternative to the use of military force. Yet, their damage on human rights and populations have been long demonstrated. In addition, in a globalised economy, their medium-term impact on the very countries issuing these sanctions can be rather severe. These reasons give rise to the need to regulate and monitor the use of this political tool for economic warfare at the crossroads between international law, trade, investment, or finance, and for which only a few legal scholars, other than human rights specialists, have showed interest. An apparent peaceful legal tool, sanctions can eventually backfire.
