United States President Joe Biden yesterday called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, prompting the Kremlin to say the comment was “unforgivable” as the war in Ukraine raged for the 21st day despite talk of compromise in peace negotiations.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted that a legal review has been under way at the State Department to review the matter.
“He was speaking from his heart,” she said.
This is the furthest that Biden, who often emphasizes the role of personal leader-to-leader diplomacy in international relations, has gone to decry the actions taken by Putin.
When Biden was asked earlier this month if he thought Russia was committing war crimes, he said the White House was following events closely but that “It’s too early to say that.”
Sullivan spoke with Nikolay Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, in the first high-level contact publicly disclosed between the two countries since the invasion.
Putin said Russia was ready to discuss Ukraine’s neutral status but that Moscow would still achieve the goals of its military operation.L2N2VJ1J7
The U.N. Security Council is due to vote tomorrow on a Russian-drafted call for aid access and civilian protection, but diplomats say the measure is set to fail because it does not push for an end to the fighting or withdrawal of Russian troops.
Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a dozen top US officials were on Tuesday put on a “stop list” that bars them from entering the country as tensions escalate over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s foreign ministry also imposed sanctions on Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, press secretary Jen Psaki, Biden’s son Hunter and other members of the administration.
The measures are to block their entry into Russia and freeze any assets held in the country.
The ban was in response to sanctions imposed by Washington on Russian officials amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The measures appeared to be mainly symbolic, as the foreign ministry said it was maintaining official relations and if necessary, would make sure that high-level contacts with the people on the list could take place.