U.S. government officially declares Russian troops guilty of war crimes in Ukraine
According to CNN, US Secretary of State Blinken said in a statement today (March 23) that the US government has officially declared that members of the Russian armed forces committed war crimes in Ukraine. Later, U.S. officials declared that Moscow had violated the conflict laws.
“Today I can announce that, based on currently available information, the U.S. government has assessed that members of the Russian military have committed war crimes in Ukraine,” Blinken said. “Our assessment is based on a careful review of available information from public and intelligence sources. .”
“As with any alleged crime, the courts with jurisdiction over the crime are ultimately responsible for determining the criminal offense in a particular case,” Blinken continued. “The U.S. government will continue to track reports of war crimes and will work with allies, partners, and international Agencies and organizations share the information we collect. We are committed to using all tools at our disposal to pursue accountability, including criminal prosecution.”
Russia has yet to respond to the new announcement.
Biden goes to Europe for NATO summit, Pentagon will provide more options for troop surge in Eastern Europe
U.S. President Joe Biden departs for Brussels, Belgium on the 23rd, where he will attend the NATO Leaders Summit, the G7 and the European Council meeting on the 24th.
“I’m on my way to Europe to rally the international community to support Ukraine and make sure Putin pays a heavy economic price for the war he chooses,” Biden said on Facebook.
Ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden’s trip to Brussels for emergency talks with NATO allies, the Pentagon offered the White House a range of options for a possible surge in Eastern Europe, according to a U.S. official. Biden could announce a change in force posture after a meeting on Thursday (March 24), but any announcement will depend on conversations with allies and has not been finalized.
NATO leaders are expected to agree to strengthen NATO’s posture, including increasing NATO forces in the eastern part of the alliance, strengthening cyber defenses and expanding NATO exercises. Biden and NATO allies will discuss long-term adjustments to NATO’s eastern flank force posture.
It remains to be seen which force options will become “deliverables” after the NATO summit, the official said, as it will require dialogue with the coalition and individual countries that may host troops. The official added that elements of all these choices are because NATO partners demanded the military, not the US imposed it on them.
The United States will announce a new round of sanctions against Russia or sanction more than 300 Russian lawmakers
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said during a regular White House media briefing on Biden’s itinerary on the 22nd that Biden will work with allies to coordinate the next stage of military assistance to Ukraine and will announce a new round of sanctions against Russia. action. He will also work with allies to adjust the deployment of NATO’s eastern flank.
Sanctions will be announced against more than 300 members of the Russian State Duma, the lower house of the Russian Federation Council, during Biden’s trip to Europe, according to internal documents seen by The Wall Street Journal and information from U.S. officials.
The sanctions on most members of the lower house of the Russian parliament will be announced as early as Thursday (March 24) after coordination with the European Union and the G7.
“We are working on a fifth round of sanctions (against Russia) and are preparing to come up with many new lists,” an EU diplomat told Reuters.
U.S., allies discuss expelling Russia from G20
The United States and its Western allies are evaluating whether Russia should stay in the G20 after Russia invaded Ukraine, sources told Reuters on Tuesday. Some member states have called for Russia to be kicked out of the G20.
A senior G7 source said: “There has been a discussion about Russia’s suitability to be part of the G20, and if Russia remains a member, the G20 will become a less useful organization.”
Asked if President Biden would push for Russia’s removal from the G20 during a meeting with allies in Brussels this week, Jake Sullivan replied: “We don’t think Russia can stay as it has always been in international organizations and international organizations. Society.” Sullivan also said that the United States will discuss with allies before making other statements.
A European Union (EU) source also confirmed that the EU has discussed Russia’s position at the upcoming G20 meeting. The current rotating presidency of the G20 is Indonesia.
The White House said Biden will also travel to Warsaw, Poland, on Friday (March 25) for bilateral talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda on how to strengthen international support for Ukraine and make Russia “tough and unprecedented.” price”.
UN: Russian-Ukrainian war caused 2,510 civilian casualties, more than 3.55 million refugees
More than 3.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine, the UN humanitarian agency said on March 22. At the same time, there is a huge humanitarian need for new arrivals.
The latest figures from OHCHR show that at least 953 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and 1,557 injured in the conflict. (Total casualties 2,510)
Early WHO estimates suggest that, based on experience in other conflict settings, the war has left 500,000 refugees with mental disorders and about 30,000 with severe mental disorders.
Speaking to reporters in front of the Security Council chamber on March 22, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that continuing the war in Ukraine is morally unacceptable, politically untenable and militarily absurd.
“By any measure, now is the time to stop fighting and give peace a chance to end this ridiculous war,” he said.