Joe Biden accused Russia of committing genocide in Ukraine, saying Vladimir Putin was “trying to erase the idea of even being Ukrainian.”
Biden has consistently been outspoken in exposing Russian mass killings of Ukrainian civilians, calling Putin a “war criminal” in mid-March. There have been numerous investigations into Russian atrocities in Ukraine, including the destruction of Mariupol and the execution of civilians in the Kiev suburb of Bucha.
A prosecutor at The International Criminal Court in The Hague opened a case in February, saying there was “a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed in Ukraine”.
Proving a case under the 1948 Genocide Convention requires “intent [by the accused] to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group ‘.
Biden first used the word in passing on Tuesday at an Iowa domestic policy event on the use of ethanol in gasoline.
“Your family budget, your ability to fill your tank, none of this should depend on a dictator declaring war and committing genocide in half the world,” he said.
Asked later if he intended to apply the term to Russian actions in Ukraine, Biden told reporters: “Yes, I called it genocide because it is becoming increasingly clear that Putin is simply trying to erase the idea of even being Ukrainian.
“And the evidence is growing,” he said. “There is more evidence of the terrible things the Russians have done in Ukraine. And we will only learn more and more about the devastation. We will leave the lawyers to decide internationally whether he meets the requirements or not, but I definitely think so. “
His comments were quickly welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who applauded what he called “the true words of a true leader”.
“Calling things by their names is essential to opposing evil,” Zelenski said on Twitter. “We are grateful for the assistance provided by the United States so far and urgently need more heavy weapons to prevent new Russian atrocities.
Prior to the invasion, Putin described Ukraine’s separate existence as illegitimate, claiming that Russians and Ukrainians are one people.
In addition to the mass killings of civilians, Russia has been accused of forcibly transferring captured Ukrainian civilians to Russia, including large numbers of children, while changing the rules to make it easier for Russian families to adopt them.
Defining the line between crimes against humanity and genocide is sometimes difficult and divisive. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has ruled that the massacre of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica is genocide, but not the mass killings of Serb forces in other municipalities, a distinction that has outraged the population of other devastated cities.
Add Comment