Passportisation : en taktik för att legitimera annektering av territorium? En analys av Rysslands argumentation i säkerhetsrådet avseende interventionerna i Georgien och Ukraina

Sammanfattning: Interventions on dubious grounds is nothing new, violation of the principle of sovereignty and the violation of the territorial integrity of an independent state is an area that is a constant current field of study. Developments in Europe in aspect of Russia's military interventions in Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014 shows a new method for states to legitimize military action in another sovereign state. This study argues that passportization has become a phenomenon in the foreign policy context. By distributing citizenship to residents in other territories Russia becomes enabled to intervene in other states despite the principle of sovereignty by referring to the protection of its own citizens. By analyzing Russia's arguments in the primary material, which consists of the records of meetings from the Security Council, Russia’s actions in aspect of conflicts in Georgia and in Ukraine from realistic theory enables this study to confirm the hypothesis of passportization, as a method for intervention in sovereign states. The analysis is based on Kenneth Waltzs analysis levels, the individual level, state level and system level. Classical realist Morgenthau is incorporated to broaden the theory in respect of human nature at an individual level as well as in the context, in which domestic politics are formed at state level. The system level is analyzed from Waltz structural neorealism. The study regards the historical legacy of Russia, concerning concepts as policies of resentment, imperialism, expansionism and power politics. As well as sovereignty and intervention, these concepts are part of the context that the study examines to enable the analysis.