The Biden administration formally concluded that Russia has committed “crimes against humanity” during its nearly year-long invasion of Ukraine, US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Saturday. “In the case of Russia’s actions in Ukraine we have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards, and there is no doubt: these are crimes against humanity,” Harris, a former prosecutor, said at the Munich Security Conference. “And I say to all those who have perpetrated these crimes, and to their superiors who are complicit in these crimes, you will be held to account.”
The official determination, which came at the end of a legal analysis led by the US State Department, carries with it no immediate consequences for the ongoing war. But Washington hopes that it could help further isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin and galvanize legal efforts to hold members of his government accountable through international courts and sanctions. AGENCIES
