Biden calls Putin a 'war criminal' for the first time

(Image credit: DENIS BALIBOUSE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

published 16 March 2022

President Biden on Wednesday called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" for the first time.

While walking past reporters at the White House, Biden briefly paused and answered a question regarding his views on Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. "He is a war criminal," he said of Putin, reports CNN.

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Many reports out of Ukraine have described the horrific fallout of Russia's airstrikes. The Associated Press writes about unheeded humanitarian corridors, airstrikes on maternity wards, and many children killed by explosions and buried in hastily-dug graves. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not shied away from calling attacks on his country "war crimes," Biden had so far been more cautious.

However, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki followed up on his newer, more serious label for Putin. "He was speaking from his heart," said Psaki, explaining Biden's view was shaped by the "barbaric acts by a brutal dictator" in Ukraine. Psaki said there is a legal process underway at the State Department to designate Putin a war criminal. The International Criminal Court is also investigating, and the chief prosecutor told CNN on Wednesday he has reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes have been committed.

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.

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