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President Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” Wednesday due to actions taken by Moscow’s forces during the invasion of Ukraine.
“He is a war criminal,” the president told reporters as he left a White House event marking the reauthorization of the federal Violence Against Women Act.
It was Biden’s second response to Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, who asked: “Mr. President, after everything we’ve seen, are you ready to call Putin a war criminal?”
Initially, Biden told Heinrich “no” as he walked by her. Moments later, however, the president came back to Heinrich and indicated he hadn’t heard her question correctly.
“Did you ask me whether I would call [Putin]?” Biden said.
“Are you ready to call him a war criminal?” Heinrich repeated.
“Oh, I think he is a war criminal,” the president said before walking out of the room.
Moments later, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden’s “remarks speak for themselves.”
“He was speaking from his heart and speaking from what he’s seen on television, which is barbaric actions by a brutal dictator through his invasion of a foreign country,” she added.
The White House has not previously levied such a dramatic accusation against the Russian president or any of his subordinates during the 21-day-long invasion of Ukraine, and Psaki added that it was up to the State Department to determine what specific actions by the Kremlin amounted to war crimes.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Biden’s comments were “unacceptable.”
“We consider unacceptable and unforgivable such rhetoric of the head of state, whose bombs killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world,” Peskov said, according to the Russian news agency Tass.
The remarks took place one day before the anniversary of Biden referring to Putin as a “killer” during an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
At one point in the sitdown, Biden recalled a prior meeting with Putin during which he told the Russian leader: “I don’t think you have a soul.”
Asked by Stephanopoulos if he thought Putin was “a killer,” Biden responded, “I do.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is examining whether Russia is purposely targeting civilians, pointing out the ”horrific toll on Ukrainians, on civilians, mothers, fathers, daughters, women, children.”
“We’re also seeing journalists in the crossfire, people doing their jobs to bring the truth to the world. We’ve seen a Fox team that was – had two of its members killed, one injured, someone I know very well. This is Ben Hall. He’s someone who travels with me when I travel around the world, someone I have great affection for, who’s a tremendous reporter who asks me a lot of tough questions every place we go,” Blinken said in an interview with National Public Radio on Wednesday.
Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with The Post’s live coverage.
The constant bombardment by Russian forces of civilian structures, including hospitals, apartment buildings and schools prompted the Senate on Tuesday to pass a resolution calling for a war crimes investigation into Putin.
The effort was spearheaded by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
“The next step for me is to work with our British allies and hopefully others to create an intel cell that will make available to the public Russian military units engaged in war crimes and start naming their commanders. A name-and-shame campaign is in the making,” Graham said in a statement.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) praised the chamber for coming together to “say that Vladimir Putin cannot escape accountability for the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people.”
“The legislation passing today, championed by Senator Graham, sends an unmistakable message that the U.S. Senate stands with Ukraine, stands against Putin, and stands with all efforts to hold Putin accountable for the atrocities levied upon the Ukrainian people,” Schumer said.
The Kremlin has denied attacking civilians and claimed to only attack military targets.
Earlier Wednesday, the International Court of Justice ordered Russia to halt its military invasion of Ukraine, saying it was “profoundly concerned” by the use of force.
With Post wires
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