President Biden denounces Russian invasion of Ukraine as “genocide”
President Putin's Invasion into Ukraine is now being labelled genocide by President Biden.
The U.S. has accused Russia of not only war crimes, but genocide following the massacre of Bucha.
On April 12, President Biden called Russia’s attack on Ukraine genocide — marking the first time he’s labeled the invasion as this most serious war crime.
“Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being Ukrainian,” said Biden.
Biden has said in recent weeks that Russia is guilty of war crimes, especially for the mass casualties in Bucha, a Ukrainian town just north of Kyiv. Over 400 butchered bodies were left in Bucha, many piled in mass graves. Signs of rape, torture and other violations are apparent on the many bodies are strewn about the town. Buildings and houses were vandalized and set on fire, the damage irreparable.
"We want you to show the world what happened here. What the Russian military did. What the Russian Federation did in peaceful Ukraine. It was important for you to see that these were civilians," said Ukrainian President Zelensky.
Article 147 of the 1949 Geneva Convention defines war crimes and the seriousness of their nature. Genocide is defined by the Convention as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” There is a heavy burden of proof to legally label an event as a genocide and bring perputrators to trial.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine has not only been unprovoked, but also aggressive. The crimes Russia is accused of invoke many of the circumstances for what constitutes a war crime, such as directly attacking a civilian population, attacking towns that are undefended by military forces and torture and inhumane treatment of civilians.
On April 4, Biden insisted Russia’s actions were war crimes, but not genocide. Just a week later, the United States has taken a much stronger stance on Russia’s actions as images of the brutality in Bucha have been released to the public.
“Based on what we have seen so far, we have seen atrocities. We have seen war crimes. We have not seen a level of systemic deprivation of life of the Ukrainian people to rise to the level of genocide,” said U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan.
In response to Russia’s war crimes, the United Nations General Assembly suspended the country from the U.N. Human Rights Council on April 7. Just after the UN voted on Russia’s suspension, Russia’s ambassador asserted that the country quit the council on its own volition.
“This is a meaningful step by the international community further demonstrating how Putin’s war has made Russia an international pariah,” said Biden in a White House release.
“The images we are seeing out of Bucha and other areas of Ukraine as Russian troops withdraw are horrifying. The signs of people being raped, tortured, executed—in some cases having their bodies desecrated—are an outrage to our common humanity,” said Biden.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova is currently investigating over 6,000 allegations of war crimes. With the support of several European countries such as Lithuania and Poland, the International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has joined Venediktova’s efforts to determine just how many crimes Russia has inflicted on Ukraine. With enough evidence, the ICC can bring Putin to trial for war crimes and even genocide if its 123 members (that does not include the United States) approve. Khan has already called Bucha “a crime scene.”
Zelensky met with France to continue the investigation of Russia’s war crimes on April 14, just one day after President Emmanuel Macron refused to call the war in Ukraine a genocide. The French president said the label was an “an escalation of rhetoric” and described the Ukrainian and Russian people as “brothers.”
“Held negotiations with French President Emmanuel Macron. Discussed the investigation of Russian crimes, the resistance of the Ukrainian people to the invader. We appreciate the strong support of France. The negotiation process was also discussed. We strive for peace in Ukraine, in Europe!” tweeted Zelensky.
While the Ukrainian and French presidents met, Biden pledged $800 million of military aid to Ukraine on April 14. Biden has continued to tighten sanctions on Russia’s economy, specifically on its largest banks, Sberbank and Alf Bank. Biden has also sanctioned individuals, namely Putin’s daughters. However, he has yet to announce new sanctions since April 6 despite labelling Russia’s actions as genocide.
The massacre in Bucha still weighs heavily on the international community. Weeks after Russian forces retreated from the suburban town, residents are still collecting bodies off the streets and trying to identify their loved ones. Most victims of the Russian forces were shot point blank, the bullet shells still littering the sidewalks and driveways.
"Please, I am begging you, do something!” saidBucha resident Tanya Nedashkivs'ka, “It's me talking, a Ukrainian woman, a Ukrainian woman, a mother of two kids and one grandchild. For all the wives and mothers, make peace on Earth so no one ever grieves again.”