It sounds paradoxical, but the violation of the international order by Putin's Russia, unprecedented in recent history, has also made international law visible again.
The civilized world has gathered in protest against aggression, genocidal excesses, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Ukraine is not equally close to every country.
But the reaction to the Moscow regime's barbaric war of conquest shows who stands where.
Effective consequences are difficult
Of course, it is quite easy to emphasize the breach of international law, as Foreign Minister Baerbock did again in The Hague.
It is more difficult to draw effective conclusions from this.
This applies to defending the victim of aggression as well as punishing the perpetrators.
The International Criminal Court would already be responsible for crimes committed by Putin and his henchmen in Ukraine, but not simply for the aggression itself.
Even before a special tribunal, the main war criminals will hardly appear during the war.
Russia is also not comparable to either Yugoslavia or Rwanda.
It is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and has nuclear weapons.
But the civilized world cannot accept the fact that the most serious crimes, which concern everyone, remain unpunished in the long run.