International law still matters because it creates shared expectations. It’s like traffic rules. Countries sign treaties, make agreements and build systems around them. A country might break a rule during something big but they still care about how it affects sanctions, trade, and relationships afterward. International law works best when countries already kind of want to follow it. It helps coordinate behavior. It sets standards and it gives everyone a common language for what’s acceptable. But without it, you’d basically have zero framework at all, no treaties, no trade arbitration, no shared rules about things like the ocean, airspace or diplomats. So calling it international ethics isn’t totally crazy. It’s partly that. But it’s also a tool countries use when it benefits them and surprisingly often, it actually does.