President Joe Biden on Tuesday stood by earlier remarks he made characterizing Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “dictator” and accusing him and his forces of committing “genocide.” Responding to a question from an NBC reporter on an Iowa airport tarmac, Biden said, “Yes, I called it ‘genocide’ because it’s become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being Ukrainian. The evidence is mounting.” The president then explained that the decision of whether Russian actions qualified as “genocide” would ultimately be left up to the international courts, “but it sure seems that way to me.” Biden had previously refrained from using the word “genocide” to describe the Russian invasion of Ukraine, instead accusing Putin and his forces of committing war crimes. But in a speech made earlier in Iowa, Biden had addressed rising gas prices in the U.S., saying they shouldn’t “hinge on whether a dictator declares war or commits genocide half a world away.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Biden’s comments on Tuesday night, calling them the “[t]rue words of a true leader.” “Calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil,” Zelensky added.
Before boarding AF1 in Des Moines, @POTUS told reporters why he called Russia’s actions in Ukraine “genocide” in his remarks today.
He said the evidence is “mounting” and the lawyers can decide internationally whether it qualifies but “it sure seems that way to me.” pic.twitter.com/dQlFXg7HR2
