CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

What Putin and Trump Owe Their Victims 

Photograph Source: Benjamin D Applebaum – Public Domain

Aggressors should compensate their victims for those killed, wounded, or displaced by their attacks as well as for damage to their buildings, bridges, and environment. By this logic, Iraq was forced to pay some $52.4 billion to Kuwait for damages resulting from Saddam Hussein’s 1990-1991 invasion and occupation. The process was managed by the United Nations Compensation Commission, created in 1991 as a subsidiary organ of the UN Security Council to handle claims and payments for losses and damage suffered by Kuwait.  Using revenue from oil sales, Iraq made its final payment in 2022.

The damages caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and US attacks on Iran have far exceeded Iraq’s obligations to Kuwait.

Vladimir Putin’s Special Military Operation has killed or wounded nearly a million Ukrainians—civilians and military. What is the value of one life? Depending on circumstances, the US government values one American life at $1 million to $10 million. While Ukraine’s economy is much smaller than the US, each Ukrainian life must still be worth at least $100,000. So the compensation for killing half a million Ukrainians would be close to $50 billion. If the damage for each of the........

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