Lawful Ends to Unlawful Wars: Coercion and Voidness in Peacemaking

Recent calls for a negotiated settlement to Russia’s war on Ukraine neglect whether such a settlement would be lawful. Yet under a settled principle of international law, a coerced treaty is void. This principle, a corollary of the U.N. Charter’s bedrock prohibition on the unlawful use of force, was developed precisely to rule out treaties making concessions to an aggressor in exchange for peace. This Note examines the neglected prohibition on coerced treaties, argues that various proposals for peace in Ukraine are actually unlawful, and concludes by suggesting how the war can be ended lawfully.