The Vice President of the United States of America Kamala Harris said this Saturday at the Munich security conference that Russia has committed “crimes against humanity” in the war against Ukraine, and called for “justice”.
“The United States has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine,” Kamala Harris said in a speech at the Munich conference, reaffirming the United States’ support for Ukraine “while it lasts.” solidarity of the transatlantic and NATO link against Russia.
According to Kamala Harris, quoted by the France-Presse agency (AFP), the United States has examined the evidence and “there is no doubt that these are crimes against humanity” committed by Russia in Ukraine.
The US vice president cited cases of summary executions, torture and rape by Russian troops, as well as “the forcible transfer of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians” to Russia.
“I say to anyone who committed these crimes and to their superiors or accomplices in these crimes, you will be held accountable,” added Kamala Harris.
This is the first time the United States has formally identified Russia as the perpetrator of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine since the Russian invasion of that country, which began on February 24, 2022.
In another statement, the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, assured that “these are not accidental or isolated cases”, and spoke of a “widespread and systematic attack by the Kremlin against the civilian population in Ukraine”.
Blinken also pointed out that by using the classification of crimes against humanity, the United States is committed to ensuring that members of the Russian armed forces and other perpetrators, who have not been identified, are “held accountable for their actions ” in court.
“There can be no impunity for these crimes,” concluded Antony Blinken, who will meet his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on the sidelines of the Munich conference today.
According to the U.S. State Department, the United States has documented or recorded more than 30,600 war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine since the invasion began.
In September, United Nations investigators accused Moscow of “massive” war crimes in Ukraine, including torture and sexual abuses.
Kiev has asked for a special court to try Russia’s top officials, but the constitution raises complex legal issues.
Source: DN
