Joe Biden accuses Russia of ‘genocide’ in Ukraine
- This is the first time the US president has referred to Moscow’s invasion this way – he previously said there were ‘war crimes’ committed
- The remarks come amid concerns over Russia’s possible use of chemical weapons in Ukraine
US President Joe Biden for the first time referred to Russia’s invasion in Ukraine as a “genocide” on Tuesday.
Speaking in Iowa at an event about steps his administration is taking to staunch rising fuel costs because of the war, Biden termed the conflict, which has seen Russia carry out atrocities against Ukrainian civilians, as a “genocide”.
Said Biden: “Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide a half a world away.”
Biden has previously stated that he did not believe Russia’s actions amounted to genocide, as Ukrainian government officials have argued, but rather were “war crimes”.
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Ukrainian mother cries out for her son after identifying his body outside of Kyiv
The president’s comments come amid concern about Russia’s possible use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, with members of the US Congress saying the Biden administration and its allies would not stand by if this were found to be the case.