In his strongest language to date, U.S. President Joe Biden referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal” for the first time.
It marks the strongest language that Biden has used so far to condemn Putin for launching Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden made the condemnation following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky virtually addressing the United States Congress,
The Kremlin said that Biden’s comments were “unforgivable,” and that the war in Ukraine was “going to plan.”
In Ukraine, Russia has kept up its bombardments and besiegement of cities, and shelling has intensified in multiple cities, including the capital city Kyiv. In Kyiv, civilians waiting in line for bread and shelter within a theater were killed.
In Mariupol, a city that has been besieged for weeks, Russian forces bombed a theater where civilians were sheltering, killing civilians. Russia denies targeting civilians.
Russia has not actually captured any of Ukraine’s biggest cities since it first invaded the country nearly a month ago on February 24. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the biggest assault on a European state since World War II.
The U.S. announced that an additional $800 million would be supplied to Ukraine in security assistance in order to defend itself against Russia. The new package includes drones, anti-aircraft systems, and anti-armor systems. Biden said that more support will come as well.
Biden labeled Putin a “war criminal” in off-the-cuff responses to reporters’ questions at the White House on Wednesday.
The Kremlin did not take Biden’s comment well that Putin is a war criminal. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Biden’s comment was unacceptable and unforgivable.
Later on, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden had been speaking from his heart and that he had just seen barbaric images of the violence in Ukraine.
There is an official separate legal process that is run by the State Department to determine war crimes.
Be the first to comment