US President Joe Biden says Russia’s Putin committed war crimes, calls arrest warrant ‘justified’
- The ICC called for Putin’s arrest on suspicion of unlawful deportation of children and transfer of people from Ukraine to Russia since Moscow’s invasion began
- The US is not a member of the ICC but separately concluded that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine and supports accountability for perpetrators
US President Joe Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has clearly committed war crimes and the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue an arrest warrant for him was justified.
The ICC had, on Friday, called for Putin’s arrest on suspicion of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of people from Ukraine to Russia since Moscow’s invasion began of its neighbour last year. The United States is not a member of the ICC.
“He’s clearly committed war crimes,” Biden told reporters, referring to Putin.
“Well, I think it’s justified,” Biden added, referring to the warrant. “But the question is – it’s not recognised internationally by us either. But I think it makes a very strong point.”
The United States separately has concluded that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine and supports accountability for perpetrators of war crimes, a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
“There is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes and atrocities [in] Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible must be held accountable”, the spokesperson added. “This was a decision the ICC prosecutor reached independently based on the facts before him”.