“But what About Kosovo?” Bundestag Debates on the Use of Force Before and After Zeitenwende

Abstract The illegal incursion of Russian forces into Ukraine in 2022 marked a pivotal moment in international security politics, prompting then German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to characterize it as a watershed moment, the so-called Zeitenwende . This paper delves into the political-legal discourse surrounding this invasion, juxtaposing it with debates preceding nato ’s intervention in Kosovo, which served as an argumentative justification for Putin to invade Ukraine. Employing an interdisciplinar