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Quote from: https://www.naturalnews.com/2022-10-19-wwiii-guaranteed-if-ukraines-west-allies-meddle.html#
Russia has issued a grim warning to the rest of the world: World War III is all but guaranteed if Ukraine’s Western allies continue to meddle in their ongoing conflict. Specifically, a top Kremlin official threatened worldwide destruction should NATO approve Ukraine’s request to join the organization. <...>
Of course, the threat of a nuclear conflict should not be underestimated, but I do not think that there are suicide bombers in the Kremlin or the Pentagon who are ready to destroy themselves and the whole world in a fiery hell. And even if there are such rabid psychopaths in the highest positions, they are more likely to be neutralized by people from their environment who want to live. However, while European leaders are now methodically killing the economies of their states and escalating the conflict more and more at the instigation of the USA, the confidence that a global war between East and West can be avoided is fading before our eyes.
paxmao, when you describe the concept of "legal annexation", what relevant international legal documents did you follow so that I could also get acquainted with them?
In the course of your comment, I had a few questions. If you don't mind, please answer them. I have put my questions in brackets in your quote.
Legal annexation could potentially be if, after a long period of peace (How many months or years exactly?), a referendum with all guarantees (What are these guarantees and who provides them?), time to put forward arguments against and in favour (Who chooses such time?) and abundant international observers (How many observers should be there and who should appoint them?) is held among the inhabitants of a region a a majority decides that they want to join a different state.
According to the definition of "annexation" that I found, when agreements are concluded as a result of annexation, they contain an element of compulsion, and, as far as I understand from the text below, at present, agreements concluded after annexation are considered legally invalid.
Code:
<...> 3. Annexation could also be effected by the conclusion of a treaty.
Unlike other treaties concerning territorial changes, such treaties involved an element of compulsion.
This means that the ceding State had been forced to sign a peace treaty after a military defeat or
to agree to a transfer of territory as a consequence of a threat of force or that it had been represented by
a puppet government prepared to accept the annexation.
<!> In contrast to the situation under present international law, such use of compulsion or the involvement of a
puppet government were previously not considered as sufficient grounds
to render the treaty in question legally invalid (Treaties, Validity); consequently,
such annexations were held to be in compliance with applicable international law.
Links:Unlike other treaties concerning territorial changes, such treaties involved an element of compulsion.
This means that the ceding State had been forced to sign a peace treaty after a military defeat or
to agree to a transfer of territory as a consequence of a threat of force or that it had been represented by
a puppet government prepared to accept the annexation.
<!> In contrast to the situation under present international law, such use of compulsion or the involvement of a
puppet government were previously not considered as sufficient grounds
to render the treaty in question legally invalid (Treaties, Validity); consequently,
such annexations were held to be in compliance with applicable international law.
http://www.anamnesis.info/node/624
https://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e1376
It is much better understood if one thinks of a referendum of independence of which there are a few cases.
Regarding referendums, there is an interesting post with some historical data confirming that the countries of the so-called collective West (led by the US and UK) are ready to recognize or not recognize the results of referendums, only when they get benefits from it.
Source in Russian