NSA Sullivan: Russia Attacks Against Ukraine 'Absolutely' War Crimes

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Russia was “absolutely” committing war crimes in Ukraine.

Anchor Jake Tapper said, “At least 52 civilians, including children, were killed after the Russian strike on the train station packed with evacuees trying to flee and get to where I am in Lviv. Officials say Russia used banned cluster munitions in that strike. Does that attack and the continued seemingly deliberate targeting of civilians by Russia, does all that constitute war crimes?”

Sullivan said, “It absolutely constitutes war crimes. In fact, President Biden was well out in front of most of the world in declaring that what Russia was doing and what Vladimir Putin was authorizing here were war crimes. We have seen that in Bucha and other parts of Ukraine. The systematic targeting of civilians, the grisly murder. That’s why we’re working not just on long-term accountability, but in the short term, Russian weapons supplies to Ukraine so they can defend themselves against Russian attacks and liberate towns like Bucha from the grip of Russian brutality.”

When asked if Russia is committing genocide, Sullivan said, “Look, in my opinion, the label is less important than the fact that these acts are cruel and criminal and wrong and evil and need to be responded to decisively. That’s what we’re doing. we’re doing that not just by supporting international investigations and gathering evidence to hold the perpetrators all the way to the highest levels accountable.”

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