Thursday, 24 March 2022 (YJC)_ The US Secretary of State formally accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine, citing what he called "credible reports."
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Wednesday formally accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine.
Blinken claims that the US government has recognized Russia as having this title based on an assessment obtained from "public and intelligence sources".
Without providing credible information, the US Secretary of State claimed that "numerous reports" indicated that Russian military forces had carried out "blind attacks" and deliberately targeted civilians.
Blinken said:
Today, I can state that, based on the available information, the US Government's assessment is that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine.
He clarified:
Our assessment is based on a thorough review of available information from public and intelligence sources. As with any alleged crime, a criminal court with jurisdiction will ultimately be responsible for determining criminal offenses in specific cases.
Russia has denied US allegations that it deliberately attacked civilians in its military operation against Ukraine. Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its second month today, Thursday.
Last week, US President Joe Biden said that his personal opinion was that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a "war criminal." Biden's remarks were met with a quick response from Moscow, which described it as "unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric."
The Russian government summoned the US ambassador to Biden a few days ago over the remarks and warned that relations between Washington and Moscow were on the verge of collapse.
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