If those in power act as if they are immune to the laws of war, it may be because they often are. But following through is not necessarily an empty exercise.
The indictment of Slobodan Milosevic, the president of Yugoslavia, was a seminal moment in legal history. But prosecuting war crimes remains a steep climb.
World leaders have vowed to hold President Vladimir V. Putin responsible for any atrocities by Russian forces. Past experience shows such cases take years to build and prosecute.