Russia is formally accused of committing war crimes by the U.S. government in Ukraine.

• The U.S. government has officially declared that Russia is guilty of committing war crimes in Ukraine, as announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
• Blinken stated that Russia's forces have destroyed various structures, including apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, civilian vehicles, shopping centers, and ambulances, resulting in the deaths or injuries of thousands of innocent civilians.
• While President Joe Biden was in transit to Brussels for NATO and G-7 summits, the determination was made.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that the US government holds Russia responsible for committing war crimes in Ukraine and should face legal consequences.

Blinken frequently compared the brutality in Mariupol, Ukraine to Russian campaigns against Grozny in the Second Chechen War and Aleppo during the Syrian civil war.

According to him, Russian forces have destroyed various structures such as apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, civilian vehicles, shopping centers, and ambulances, resulting in the death or injury of thousands of innocent civilians.

According to Blinken, Russian forces have bombed buildings that are clearly used by civilians, including the Mariupol maternity hospital and a theater with "children" written in large Russian letters.

Blinken stated that the U.S. assessment was derived from publicly accessible information and intelligence sources while President Biden was traveling to Brussels for NATO and G-7 summits.

Blinken stated that the determination of Russia's guilt or innocence in regards to war crimes would be left to a court of law. Although he did not specify it, the traditional court for such cases is the International Criminal Court, or ICC.

The U.S. was not part of the International Criminal Court (ICC) when it was established in 2002 to prosecute international war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. At the time, the U.S. was involved in a war in Afghanistan and preparing for an invasion of Iraq.

The White House meticulously crafted a comprehensive list of U.S. actions, positions, and commitments to demonstrate America's unwavering loyalty to NATO and the mission to support Ukraine.

On Feb. 24, Russia invaded Ukraine under the false claim that its forces would "de-Nazify" the country, despite Ukraine being led by a Jewish president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose family survived the Holocaust.