Biden Seeks War Crimes Trial Against Putin Over Ukraine Conflict

President Joe Biden said he supports a war crime trial against Russian President Vladimir Putin as images of mass civilian causalities emerge from Bucha, a city outside the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

But Biden stopped short of condemning Putin’s actions in Ukraine as genocide, reiterating his Russian counterpart was committing war crimes in the conflict.

“We have to gather all the details so this can be an actual … war crime trial. This guy is brutal. What’s happening in Bucha is outrageous, and everyone’s seen it,” Biden told reporters Monday.

Biden also defended himself from criticism he received for denouncing Putin as a war criminal before his State Department had made the legal determination.

“You may remember I got criticized for calling Putin a war criminal,” he said. “Well, the truth of the matter, you saw what happened in Bucha. This warrants — he is a war criminal. But we have to gather the information.”

The United States was additionally “seeking” to levy more sanctions against Russia and its allies, according to Biden. But he declined to provide more details about the coming measures, other than recommitting to sending more military aid to Ukraine.

The Russian retreat from Bucha amid peace talks has revealed a mass grave in which Kyiv Regional Police and local residents believe at least 150 people are buried. Bucha’s mayor thinks the number in the grave could be as high as 300. 

Roughly 20 bodies were found in a single street, some with their hands bound.

Reporting by The Washington Examiner.

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