President Joe Biden on Wednesday called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” over a bloody attack on neighboring Ukraine.
“I think he’s a war criminal,” Biden told reporters.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was “speaking from his heart” after seeing images on television of “barbaric action through an invasion of a foreign country by a brutal dictator”.
Putin ordered a massive invasion of Ukraine three weeks ago, saying Russia wants to force Ukraine’s military to disarm and topple the Western government.
The Ukrainian army, backed by a massive influx of Western weapons, has largely halted the Russian advance. The Russian military has increasingly turned to bombardment of civilians, making three million Ukrainians refugees.
Saki said the US State Department already had “a legal process underway” to investigate Russia’s actions.
It was the first time Biden had used the phrase “war criminal” for Putin. Later on Wednesday, he renewed his rhetorical attack, tweeting that “Putin is wreaking havoc and terror on Ukraine – bombing apartment buildings and maternity wards.”
Citing reports that Russian soldiers took doctors and patients hostage at Mariupol Hospital, Biden said, “These are atrocities. This is an outrage to the world.”
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