Collective security through TWAIL legal lens: a cross-case study analysis between the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (1990) and the Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022)

Abstract

This thesis examines collective security through the lens of Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL), arguing that collective security is not a neutral or universally agreed-upon legal concept but a contested terrain where legal arguments function as instruments of power. Drawing on the cases of the Iraq-Kuwait conflict (1990) and the Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022), this research explores how legal justifications—particularly just cause and legitimate authority—are selectively invoked to reinforce hegemonic interests while marginalizing the perspectives of peripheral States. Employing a qualitative methodology, the thesis constructs a database of primary legal documents, official statements, and United Nations reports to map disputes surrounding collective security applications. By operationalizing key concepts through the principles of jus ad bellum, this study demonstrates that collective security practices are shaped by asymmetrical power structures embedded within international law. Ultimately, the research highlights the need to develop more inclusive legal frameworks capable of addressing global security concerns without perpetuating historical patterns of exclusion and domination.