The bleeding of civilian deaths in recent days has led Western allies to accuse Russia, although not yet formally, of committing war crimes during the invasion of Ukraine. News such as the bombing of the Mariúpol theater where hundreds of people took refuge or the deaths of a dozen while queuing to buy bread in Chernigov happen daily, while Vladimir Putin intensifies his offensive. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, joined this Thursday in the condemnation expressed the day before by the president, Joe Biden. Also the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, or the British Government believe that Moscow has crossed the red lines that determine this crime.
“President Biden said that war crimes had been committed in Ukraine. Personally, I agree,” Blinken said at a press conference, adding that “intentionally attacking civilians is a war crime.” “With the destruction we’ve been seeing in recent weeks, it’s hard to conclude that Russia is doing anything different,” he continued. For his part, Borrell condemned in a statement the “deliberate attacks on civilians and infrastructure,” which constitute, he recalled, “serious violations of international humanitarian law.” “The perpetrators of these grave violations and war crimes, as well as responsible government officials and military leaders, will be held accountable.”
The violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict, established in treaties such as the Geneva Convention or the Rome Statute (the latter created the International Criminal Court), determines the commission of a war crime. The definition affects aggressions that target civilians, but also attacks that, although they have a military objective, cause a disproportionate number of civilian deaths.
Blinken advanced that the newly confirmed United States Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice, Beth Van Schaack, will lead the work of “documenting and evaluating possible war crimes committed against Ukraine.” “We will ensure that our findings aid international investigations and hold those responsible to account.”
Washington had refused to use this expression until Wednesday, when Biden responded to a direct question from a journalist while leaving an event unrelated to the Ukraine crisis. “Oh, I think he’s a war criminal,” the president said. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki clarified shortly afterward that Biden had “spoke from his heart” upon seeing “barbarous actions by a brutal dictator.”
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