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.
Lawmakers monitoring developments during a trip to Poland said on Tuesday that the US is investigating reports that a poisonous substance had been dropped in Mariupol. But they cautioned that determining the nature of the attack in the beleaguered port city could take time.
“We’re taking those reports seriously and I know the United States government and others are trying to determine if that did indeed occur,” congressman Jason Crow said.
Crow said the administration “has been very clear that the use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated”.
The Democratic lawmakers, all members of the House Intelligence Committee, are bracing for a potential long war in Ukraine. They said at a press briefing that Congress is looking at next steps in sending additional military and other aid to Ukraine.
In Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also addressed the reports coming from Mariupol. “We’re not in a position to confirm anything, I don’t think Ukrainians are either,” Blinken told reporters.
“But let me say that we had credible information that Russian forces may use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, that would cause stronger symptoms to weaken, incapacitate Ukrainian fighters and civilians, as part of the aggressive campaign” in Mariupol.
“We share that information with … Ukraine and other partners,” Blinken said. “And we’re in direct conversation with partners to try to determine what actually is happening.”
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Mariupol destruction visible from the air as Ukraine and Russia continue to fight over port city
Meanwhile, the global chemical weapons watchdog says it is “concerned by the recent unconfirmed report of chemical weapons use in Mariupol” and is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine.
A spokesperson for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in a statement that the allegations follow “reports in the media over the past few weeks of shelling targeted at chemical plants located in Ukraine, together with accusations levelled by both sides around possible misuse of toxic chemicals”.
The spokesperson said in Tuesday’s statement that the “use of chemical weapons anywhere by anyone under any circumstances is reprehensible and wholly contrary to the legal norms established by the international community against such use.”
Both Russia and Ukraine are among the organisation’s 193 member states.
