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President Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “pure thug” and a “murderous dictator” on Thursday, but didn’t repeat his assertion from the previous day that Putin is a “war criminal.”
Biden made the jabs at Putin during a St. Patrick’s Day speech at the Capitol as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its fourth week.
The commander-in-chief used the term “war criminal” for the first time Wednesday in a mop-up operation after he gave the opposite answer to a question.
“Now you have Ireland and Great Britain and, you know, the Republic standing together against a murderous dictator, a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine,” Biden said Thursday at the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon.
“And by the way, the Republic is paying a big price for this — a big number for supporting the strategy, for supporting the sanctions, including aircraft and a whole range of things. It’s not a minor contribution they’re making to this effort. It is significant.”
Biden noted that Ireland currently is a member of the United Nations Security Council as well as the European Union.
“Putin is paying a big price for his aggression. And they are part of the reason they cost is going so high,” the president said.
“Everybody talks about Germany having stepped up and changed notions about being more leaning forward — and they have — but so has Ireland. So has Ireland, a neutral country. Ireland has stepped up and they’re taking a hit for what they’re doing.”
Biden for weeks dodged pressure to call Putin a “war criminal,” with the administration saying it would defer to an ongoing State Department review — even as footage from Ukraine showed grisly images of civilians killed as Russian troops attacked major cities.
That changed Wednesday, when the president said of Putin, “I think he is a war criminal” in response to a question from Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich.
“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,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at her Wednesday briefing. “There is a legal process that continues … to be underway at the State Department. That’s a process that they would have any updates on.”
Throughout the conflict, Biden has faced broad bipartisan pressure from Congress to do more to penalize Russia and support the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Biden initially announced limited sanctions against state-owned Russian banks and certain Russian businessmen when tanks rolled across Ukraine’s borders on Feb. 24. After criticism, Biden sanctioned Putin’s vast personal wealth and reached an agreement with US allies to partially unplug Russia from the SWIFT international banking system.
As Congress readied legislation to force his hand, Biden last week announced an import ban on Russia oil, natural gas and coal. Also in response to bipartisan pressure, he banned imports of Russian alcohol, diamonds and seafood and said he would move to strip Russia of its “most favored nation” trade status, permitting high tariffs on other goods.
On Wednesday, Biden announced $800 million in new US military aid for Ukraine after Congress passed legislation authorizing $13.6 billion in aid to the European country. The package includes a wide array of weapons, including 100 exploding Switchback drones that have a range of 50 miles.
Zelensky pleaded in a Wednesday speech to Congress for the US to facilitate the transfer of 28 Soviet-designed fighter jets that Poland wants to donate — something supported by prominent members of both political parties.
Biden spiked the jet transfer, saying last week it could trigger “World War III.” Before Biden’s decision, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Poland had a “green light” to move forward, which the Warsaw government hoped to do with US help.
Poland offered to fly the planes to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where the US would facilitate the transfer. It was unclear whether US or Ukrainian pilots would fly the planes into Ukraine pursuant to the spiked Polish plan.
Forty Republican senators wrote Biden a letter last Thursday urging him to reconsider and several Democrats have been sharply critical of that decision.
“There is bipartisan support to provide these planes,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) said last week. “It is disappointing to see the reluctance on the part of the administration. It’s coming across as indecision and bickering among members of the administration, which is not helpful to the cause.”
Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with The Post’s live coverage.
“Time is of the essence,” said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “I understand why NATO and the United States are not engaged in a no-fly zone [in Ukraine]. That has potential [for] direct conflict with Russia, but I don’t understand why we are not working to facilitate planes to Ukraine.”
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