US President, Joe Biden, has labelled Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, a “war criminal” in a move likely to escalate diplomatic tensions even further.
Mr Biden delivered the remark off-the-cuff in response to a reporter’s question at the White House.
It was the first time he had used such language to condemn President Putin, and the White House later said he was “speaking from his heart”.
The Kremlin, however, said it was “unforgiveable rhetoric”.
“We believe such rhetoric to be unacceptable and unforgivable on the part of the head of a state whose bombs have killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world,” spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told Russian state news agency, Tass.
The exchange in Washington happened on Wednesday when a reporter asked the US president: “Mr President, after everything we have seen, are you ready to call Putin a war criminal?”
The President replied “no” before being challenged, and then changed his reply: “Did you ask me whether I would tell ….? Oh, I think he is a war criminal.”
White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, later said the president had been speaking from his heart after seeing “barbaric” images of the violence in Ukraine, rather than making any official declaration.
She noted that there was a separate legal process run by the State Departmentto determine war crimes – and that was ongoing separately.
The president’s official Twitter account posted: “Putin is inflicting appalling devastation and horror on Ukraine – bombing apartment buildings and maternity wards… these are atrocities. It is an outrage to the world.”
It came after a busy day of political theatre in both the US and Russia over Ukraine.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, earlier gave a speech by video link to the US Congress, receiving a standing ovation. Hours later, Mr Biden approved additional weapons aid for Ukraine, bringing the total US contribution to $1bn (£760m).
On the other side of the world, President Putin also gave a televised speech laden with anti-Western rhetoric.
He accused the West of trying to divide Russia with lies, and railed against those he called “traitors” inside of Russia. -BBC
