EJIL: Talk!
- Who Pays for Aggression? Ukraine’s Reparation Claims and Russian Frozen Assets 17/07/2026As Russia’s war against Ukraine rages, inflicting suffering on the country, its people, and economy, the Russian Central Bank (RCB) assets remain immobilised (i.e., frozen). Since December 2025, the EU, on whose territory a significant chunk of these assets has been immobilised, – €210 bn worth of assets out of approximately €290 bn – modified […]Iryna Bogdanova
- Christopher Nolan and International Law 16/07/2026Sand Tomorrow, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey will come clattering into cinemas around the world. There will no doubt be talk of plotlines, performances, accents, and fidelity to the source text—perhaps even some mentions of the curious absence of Greek actors. There is less likely to be talk about sand. But the sand is important. It […]Sebastian von Massow
- How the war in Ukraine impacts the law and politics of security guarantees 15/07/2026The paradoxical revival of security guarantees Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has revived the concept of security guarantees. Their content and scope have been central to scholarly and political debates about Kyiv’s resistance to the Russian aggression (see here and here). Yet, this revival highlights a paradox: if existing arrangements had been effective, […]Carolyn Moser
- The New EU Return Regulation: A Step Towards Crimmigration? 14/07/2026In mid-June 2026, the European Parliament gave its final approval to the amendments to the European Union’s policy on the return of third-country nationals staying irregularly on Union territory. With 418 votes in favour, 218 against, and 30 abstentions, the new Return Regulation, which replaces Directive 2008/115/EC, formally aims to “speed up procedures, with full […]Federico Teli
- Red lines in a grey zone: the validity of a Russia-Ukraine peace treaty under international law 13/07/2026While peace still appears remote, the prospect of a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine raises difficult questions concerning the international law governing inter-state peace treaties. The unlawfulness of Russia’s use of force and the peace plans proposed to date point to issues of validity, particularly under Articles 46, 52 and 53 of the […]Asli Ozcelik
- Substantive Implications of the Duty of Vigilance Ruling Against TotalEnergies 13/07/2026In its 25 June 2026 judgment in NAAT et al. v. TotalEnergies, the Paris Judicial Court ordered TotalEnergies to update its vigilance plan within six months to address climate-related risks arising from its Scope 3 emissions—emissions from the combustion of its oil and gas which account for around 90% of its carbon footprint—and to include […]Jasper Teulings
- Two Weeks in Review: 29 June—10 July 2026 12/07/2026“The test of a first-rate intelligence,” according to F. Scott Fitzgerald, “is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” For international lawyers in these times of the Board of Peace and the Gaza Riviera, this kind of functional cognitive dissonance has […]Sebastian von Massow
- Announcements: The Human Right to Peace Webinar; CfP The Daily Life of International Law 12/07/20261. The Human Right to Peace: Past, Present, and Future Webinar. NUS Centre for International Law is inviting registrations for the upcoming webinar “The Human Right to Peace: Past, Present, and Future” (15 July 2026, 5.30pm – 7pm, Singapore time). The webinar brings together practitioners and researchers, including Cecilia Marcela Bailliet, Surya Deva, Hélène Tigroudja, […]Mary Guest
- A peace treaty for Ukraine: Mini-symposium on international legal issues 10/07/2026In the four years since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the prospects of a negotiated peace settlement have waxed but mostly waned. But the possibility of an agreement has been an ongoing focus for international lawyers. This is primarily because Russia has demanded territorial concessions from Ukraine that appear at odds with fundamental prohibitions on […]Anne Peters
- Legal Experimentation in International Institutional Law? From the Spanish Civil War and the ‘London Committee’ to Gaza and the ‘Board of Peace’ 10/07/2026Much has been said on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ (the Board) and much remains to be seen. While the identity of the Board as an international organisation has been discussed (here), other contributions have focused on the corporate dimension of the organisation (here, here and here) or on its role as regards the future of […]Rémi Furhmann