Biden Tells Reporters It’s ‘Clear’ Russia Targeting Civilians, But Too Early to Say if Putin Committing ‘War Crimes’
President Joe Biden spoke to reporters on the White House lawn before boarding Marine One on Wednesday, and said that while it’s too early to say whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is committing war crimes, it’s “clear” that the Russian invasion forces are deliberately targeting civilians.
Russia has been accused of committing war crimes during its invasion of Ukraine, and International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan announced a formal investigation on Monday. CNN has reported accusations of Russia using banned weapons, and multiple reporters who are on the ground in Ukraine say that it’s clear Russia is targeting civilians.
On Tuesday Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “the attack on Kharkiv is a war crime.”
“This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation,” said Zelensky. “After that, Russia is a terrorist state.”
On the White House lawn, Biden was asked directly, “Do you believe Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine?”
“We are following it very closely. It’s early to say that,” Biden replied.
A few minutes later another reporter asked about targeting civilians.
“Mr. President, do you believe Russia is intentionally targeting civilian areas?” the reporter asked. “There are over 2,000 civilian deaths right now…”
“It’s clear they are,” said Biden, who strongly condemned Russia’s actions in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday.
The United States is not a signer of the Rome Statute establishing the ICC, which lists among those actions defined as war crimes, “[i]ntentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities.”
However, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) went further on Wednesday, calling for the United States to “pursue war crimes allegations against Vladimir Putin and his military commanders.”
Watch the clip above, via CBS News.
