US Vice President Kamala Harris charged Russian soldiers and their supervisors with crimes against humanity in Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference.
Berlin, February 18 (Reuters) – According to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Biden administration has legally determined that Russia has committed “crimes against humanity” during its close to a year-long invasion of Ukraine.
Former prosecutor Harris stated at the Munich Security Conference, “In the instance of Russia’s operations in Ukraine we have evaluated the data, we know the legal criteria, and there is no doubt: these are crimes against humanity.”
The formal decision has no immediate repercussions for the ongoing battle and was reached after a legal examination led by the U.S. State Department.
But, Washington aspires to use it to further isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin and inspire legal actions to hold members of his administration legally liable through international tribunals and penalties.
While senior Western officials gathered in Munich to discuss Europe’s biggest crisis since World War Two, Harris gave a speech.
She said that after Biden organized a coalition to punish Putin for the invasion, Russia was now a “weakened” nation, but Russia is simply stepping up its attacks in eastern Ukraine. In the meantime, Ukraine is preparing a spring counteroffensive and is looking to its Western partners for bigger, heavier, and longer-range weapons.
Tens of thousands have died throughout the conflict, millions have been forced to leave their homes, the world economy has been severely damaged, and Putin has become despised in the West.
The Biden administration’s conclusion that Russia’s actions amount to “crimes against humanity” implies a legal analysis that actions ranging from murder to rape are widespread, systematic, and intentionally targeted against civilians. Washington and a U.N.-mandated investigation had already concluded that Russian forces were guilty of war crimes. It is considered to be a more serious offense under international law.
The Commission of Investigation on Ukraine, which is supported by the U.N., has not yet determined whether the alleged war crimes constitute crimes against humanity.
“BARBARIC AND INHUMANITARIAN”
In her remarks, Harris referred to the numerous victims discovered in Bucha soon after Russia’s invasion last February as “barbaric and inhumane,” as well as the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol on March 9 that killed three people, including a child, and the alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old by a Russian soldier that was named in the U.N. report.
Since the invasion, organizations funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have recorded more than 30,000 war crimes instances, the U.S. government claims. According to Ukrainian officials, the recent bombardment of the city of Bakhmut is being looked into as a potential war crime.
Russia has denied purposefully attacking people or committing war crimes, claiming that its “special military operation” in Ukraine is meant to protect Russian-speaking citizens and eradicate threats to state security.
Let’s all agree that justice must be done for all victims, whether known and unidentified, Harris added.
In an effort to prosecute alleged war criminals, the Biden administration has trained Ukrainian investigators, imposed fines, blocked visas, and increased punishments under U.S. war crimes legislation.
Washington claims it is working with Congress to acquire an additional $38 million for the measures despite having already spent about $40 million on them.
But, the Biden administration has limited power to carry out any such initiatives outside of its boundaries, and most definitely inside of Russia. It has been challenging to gather evidence in the war-torn nation as well.
International legal organizations are likewise restricted. For instance, the International Criminal Court’s authority only covers its members and those nations that have consented to it, including Ukraine, but not Russia. Moscow has rejected Kyiv’s efforts to create a new international war crimes organization that would concentrate on the Russian invasion.
Putin is seriously incorrect, Harris added, if he thinks he can wait us out. He cannot win against time.
