International law ‘effectively dead’, says Kremlin aide

Russia has said international law is effectively dead amid escalating tensions in West Asia following the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran and called for reviving President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to convene a summit of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Also read: Israel-Iran war updates on March 8, 2026

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the current global situation underscores the need to revisit Mr. Putin’s proposal, first made before the COVID-19 pandemic, for a summit of the P-5 — Russia, the U.S., China, France and the U.K. — to discuss global security and stability.

“We have all lost what we call international law… I don’t even understand how anyone can be called upon to follow the norms and principles of international law. It effectively no longer exists,” Mr. Peskov said in an interview with the state-run Rossiya TV.

He said international law exists “de jure” (by law) but no longer “de facto” (in fact).

“We cannot tell anyone to follow international law, follow which law? Nobody can formulate today what it is,” he said.

Referring to the sharp escalation following the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, Mr. Peskov stated that the situation in the region has become significantly destabilised.

“The region has become significantly destabilised, and the cumulative effect of the vast number of regional conflicts and unresolved issues is resulting in both economic and political consequences,” he said.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the U.S. should clarify its broader plans and explain how they relate to existing international norms.

“We talk a lot about wanting to define what kind of world we live in… We believe the US should explain its plans and how this all relates to what previously defined certain norms,” he said in a programme on state TV.