President Biden formally accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering a genocide in Ukraine Tuesday, while casting blame on the authoritarian leader for inflation reaching its highest level in four decades.
“Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide half a world away,” Biden said during remarks at an ethanol bioproduction facility in Iowa.
Biden’s remark went beyond previous claims by his administration, members of which have been careful to state only that Russian forces have committed war crimes during their invasion that began Feb. 24.
Earlier this month, Biden told reporters that Putin should face war crimes charges after reports emerged of the massacre of civilians after Russian forces retreated from the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.
“He is a war criminal,” Biden said April 4. “But we have to gather the information, we have to continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons they need to continue the fight, and we have to gather all the detail so this can — we can actually have a war crimes trial.”
The State Department announced on March 23 that it had assessed that Russian forces had committed war crimes in Ukraine, but stopped short of pinning responsibility on Putin or any other Kremlin leader.
Last month, the International Criminal Court opened an investigation into allegations of war crimes against Russia, including crimes against humanity as well as allegations of genocide.
Neither Russia nor the US are members of the ICC.
