Putin accused of committing genocide in Ukraine and 'wiping out a culture'

07 September 2023 , 11:01

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American members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee have accused President Vladimir Putin of genocide (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

American lawmakers have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing genocide in Ukraine as the war wages on.

This statement came a day before members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee met with International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan. Back in March, the ICC issued an international arrest warrant for President Putin for war crimes.

He was accused of being personally responsible for the kidnapping of children from Ukraine. However, the court hasn't yet charged him with any other crimes committed by Russian troops since his invasion of Ukraine 18 months ago.

Committee chairman Republican Representative Michael McCaul told reporters during a visit to The Hague that Putin is "trying to wipe out a culture, a people and a religion, and that is the definition of genocide."

Representative Ann Wagner spoke of the "crimes against humanity" Putin has committed (AFP via Getty Images)

Another committee member, Republican Anne Wagner, agreed. She spoke of the "crimes against humanity and outright genocide that this man committed."

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Democrat Gerry Connolly said Putin denied the existence of Ukraine as a country and people even before the war. He said: "So he himself presented the arguments to justify genocide, and his subsequent behaviour filled in the gaps."

The comments from lawmakers come as Russians have shelled a market in eastern Ukraine which killed at least 16 people and injured numerous others. The strike took place in the city of Kostiantynivka, near the front line in the Donetsk region.

The marketplace was turned into a terrifying inferno as a result of the shelling. It was one of the deadliest bombardments of civilians in the war so far, with at least 32 wounded.

Representative Gerry Connolly said Putin denied the existence of Ukraine as a country and people even before the war (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The shelling took place while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Kyiv. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said such brutal Russian attacks underscore "the importance of continuing to support the people of Ukraine."

Mr Blinken was expected to announce more than $1 billion in new funding from America, including military and humanitarian aid. It was Mr Blinken's fourth visit to the country. He said: "We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, not only to succeed in the counteroffensive but has what it needs for the long-term, to make sure that it has a strong deterrent. We're also determined to continue to work with our partners as they build and rebuild a strong economy, strong democracy."

Representative Michael McCaul said what Putin is doing is the "definition of genocide" (Markku Ulander/REX/Shutterstock)

Committee members are due to meet with ICC prosecutor Karim Khan on Thursday. Mr Mcaul said committee members will look at "the evidence itself" and how lawmakers can help the court in The Hague "gather even more evidence and data to prove Putin's guilty."

Members of the committee are also set to visit the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, or Eurojust, which hosts the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine. The centre aims to support nations already building cases against senior Russian leaders for the crime of aggression. The ICC can also prosecute crimes including genocide, but does not have jurisdiction over the crime of aggression.

Fiona Leishman