Biden calls Putin a ‘war criminal’ after announcing additional aid for Ukraine [Video]

• President Joe Biden has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal.”
• The president made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon after announcing a new $800 million military aid package for Ukraine.
• Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, which started three weeks ago, are currently under investigation by the International Court of Justice.

President Joe Biden has called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” on Wednesday afternoon — the first time he made such remarks.

Biden made the comment during a brief encounter with reporters at the White House after he announced a new $800 million military aid package for Ukraine.

As the president announced the new aid package, he declared, “We’re united in our abhorrence of Putin’s depraved onslaught and we’ll continue to have [the Ukrainians’] backs as they fight for freedom, democracy, their very survival.”

Hours before Biden’s remarks, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) called Putin a war criminal and urged the president to do the same.

Biden had previously avoided making such remarks and referred to the ongoing investigation into Russia’s attacks.

In footage captured by CSPAN, a reporter asked the president if he was prepared to call Putin a war criminal. Biden initially responded “no.” But he later turned back and asked the reporter to repeat her question, to which he replied, “He is a war criminal.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told CNN that the president was “speaking from the heart,” when he made the remarks, considering Russia’s “barbaric” attacks throughout Ukraine have been ongoing for three weeks now.

The president later took to Twitter to condemn Putin’s “atrocities.”

Biden wrote, “Putin is inflicting appalling devastation and horror on Ukraine — bombing apartment buildings and maternity wards. Yesterday, we saw reports that Russian forces were holding hundreds of doctors and patients hostage.”

“These are atrocities. It is an outrage to the world,” he continued.

According to Russian state-owned news agency Ria Novosti, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Biden’s remarks “unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric by the leader of a country from whose bombs hundreds of thousands of people have died.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started three weeks ago, have led to several civilian casualties, prompting officials of Ukraine and other countries to accuse Russia of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The International Court of Justice is currently investigating claims of genocide. On Wednesday, it ordered Russia to immediately stop its attacks on Ukraine.

Source: Insider