Biden: Russia war a ‘genocide,’ trying to ‘wipe out’ Ukraine

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — President Joe Biden has now said Russia's war in Ukraine amounts to "genocide," accusing President Vladimir Putin of trying to "wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian."

"Yes, I called it genocide," he told reporters in Iowa on Tuesday shortly before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington. "It's become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian."

Last week, Biden stopped short of saying Russia's actions amounted to genocide.

At an earlier event Tuesday in Menlo, Iowa, addressing spiking energy prices caused by the war, Biden had implied that he thought Putin was carrying out genocide against Ukraine, but offered no details. Neither he nor his administration announced new consequences for Russia or assistance to Ukraine following Biden's public assessment.

Biden's comments drew praise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had encouraged Western leaders to use the term to describe Russia's invasion of his country. French President Emmanuel Macron declined to take his rhetoric that far in comments Wednesday.

"I am prudent with terms today," Macron said. "Genocide has a meaning. The Ukrainian people and Russian people are brotherly people. It's madness what's happening today. It's unbelievable brutality and a return to war in Europe. But at the same time I look at the facts, and I want to continue to try the utmost to be able to stop the war and restore peace. I'm not sure if the escalation of words serves our cause."

Macron said it's been established that the Russian army has committed war crimes in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy praised with Biden's assessment.

"True words of a true leader @POTUS," he tweeted Tuesday. "Calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil. We are grateful for US assistance provided so far and we urgently need more heavy weapons to prevent further Russian atrocities."

A United Nations treaty, to which the U.S. is a party, defines genocide as actions taken with the "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group."

Katie West • Times-Herald Forrest City Administrative Assistant Kinyuana Smith visits with Mrs. Doris Ursery’s class at the ABC School. Smith was delivering incentives to children who participated in the recent Keep Forrest City Beautiful Campaign coloring contest. Smith handed out incentives such as toys, coloring books and more.