Reacting to the news over the weekend that Washington has formally determined that Moscow is committing crimes against humanity in Ukraine, Russia’s ambassador to the United States stressed that the US’ declaration is a mere attempt to “demonize Russia.”
In a media exchange posted on the embassy’s Telegram channel, Ambassador Anatoly Antonov noted that Moscow considers such insinuations as an attempt – unprecedented in terms of its cynicism- to demonize Russia in the course of a hybrid war that was unleashed against the country.
Denouncing the Biden administration for providing offensive weapons to Ukraine, he pointed out that Washington’s intentions with the message are to justify the US’s own actions to fuel the Ukrainian crisis.
Stressing his contempt toward Washington’s two-facedness he described as outrageous, Antonov alleged that Washington is willfully turning a blind eye to the atrocities of the Zelensky’s regime – including the shootings of unarmed captured Russian POWs- and Ukraine’s armed forces’ use of prohibited indiscriminate ammunition.
Previously on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, just days ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Vice President Kamala Harris made the announcement about the administration’s formal determination, noting that there was “no doubt” as to the conclusion, pointing specifically to attacks against Mariupol and Bucha civilians.
Also on Saturday, US State Secretary Antony Blinken pointed out that Russia’s crimes against humanity included deportation of Ukrainian civilians to Russia, execution-style killings of Ukrainians, including children, and torture – beatings, electrocution, mock executions, and rape – of detained civilians.
Noting that the US reserves ‘crimes against humanity’ determinations for the most egregious crimes, Blinken added that the determination underlines the staggering extent of the human suffering Moscow inflicted on the Ukrainian civilians.
In light of the news that Beijing is considering providing Russia with lethal assistance – including weapons- for its war in Ukraine, Blinken underscored that Washington has not seen China cross that line yet, noting that the move was still under consideration.
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