US President Joe Biden said tonight (Wednesday to Thursday) that the ability of Americans to pay for gas should not depend on whether a "dictator declares war and commits genocide on the other side of the world."
In this remark, he claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin himself was committing war crimes, but did not state that Russia had committed these acts as a country.
Biden later stood behind his accusation: "I said it was genocide because it was becoming increasingly clear that Putin was trying to erase the idea of 'being Ukrainian'."
He noted that "the evidence is accumulating. Lawyers can decide if it meets the threshold of genocide, but it certainly seems that way to me."
Biden had previously stated that he did not believe Russia's actions were "genocide", as claimed in Kiev, but did call its actions in Ukraine "war crimes".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalansky thanked Biden for using the phrase "genocide" to describe the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"True words from a true leader," Zalansky said, "calling to speak on his behalf is essential to confronting evil. We are grateful for the assistance the United States has provided us so far, and urgently need more weapons to prevent Russia's atrocities."
Zalansky also referred to reports that Russia had used "some chemical weapons" in the besieged Mariupol, but did not approve them.
"I can not be 100% sure it's true," he said.
He noted that "it is impossible to open a proper investigation into the matter" - due to the situation in the city.
Zalanski's achievement: "Putin's man in Ukraine" caught
Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the pro-Russian "Opposition Platform" party and an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been arrested in a covert operation by Ukrainian special forces.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Medvedchuk, who escaped house arrest in February, was caught trying to cross the border into a field controlled by Russian military forces.
Medvedchuk, an oligarch and owner of a pro-Russian propaganda channel, was arrested in February on suspicion of treason and aiding and abetting terrorist acts.
After his capture, he was shown on camera wearing a Ukrainian army uniform and handcuffed.
"No traitor will escape punishment and be tried under Ukrainian law," read the announcement of his arrest.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the announcement of his arrest and said that one should wait and not believe in the "many false reports that are being published."
On the other hand, President Zlansky wrote on his Twitter page that he hopes to hold a prisoner exchange deal with the Russians in exchange for Medvedchuk's release.
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