“He’s a war criminal,” Biden said in response to a question from a reporter awaiting an event at the White House.
So far, the US government has avoided using the term to refer to Putin, who Vice President Kamala Harris said last week should be a dubious investigation into the possibility of Russia committing war crimes in Ukraine.
Shortly after Biden’s comments, White House spokesman Jen Psaki said the president was “speaking from the heart and based on what he saw on television.”
“Yes, the barbaric acts of a brutal dictator during his invasion of a foreign land,” Psaki said at his daily press conference.
The speaker explained that for the time being, the State Department has not made an official statement accusing Russia of committing war crimes, and that the “legal” investigation into the matter “is still ongoing” at the center of the U.S. diplomacy.
The United States said earlier this month it had “documented” Russian attacks in Ukraine and their impact on civilians, to ensure Russia is “held accountable” for committing war crimes.
Read more: Biden says Putin ‘chose this war’ and will now suffer the consequences
After the Russian attack on the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya on March 4, the US embassy in Ukraine described the aggression as a “war crime”.
However, the White House refrains from referring to the event in these terms, and the State Department has asked its embassies around the world not to circulate the tweet from the Ukrainian delegation that used the words.
Last week, the Office of the Prosecutor (ICC) of the International Criminal Court opened a portal to communicate with witnesses, both from Ukraine and from other countries the court is investigating, who can provide evidence of war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Source: Ulti Mahora
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.