President Biden in a speech Tuesday said gas prices shouldn't "hinge on whether a dictator declares war or commits genocide," in an apparent reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine.
The big picture: While Biden has previously accused Putin and Russian forces of committing war crimes, the U.S. has so far refrained from officially declaring "genocide" is taking place in Ukraine.
- National security adviser Jake Sullivan said earlier this month that the administration "not yet seen a level of systematic deprivation of life of the Ukrainian people to rise to the level of genocide" in Ukraine.
What he's saying: "Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide, a half a world away," Biden said while addressing rising consumer costs during his remarks in Iowa.
State of play: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian forces of committing genocide earlier this month after reports and images emerged showing bodies of civilians — some with their hands tied behind their backs — strewn in the streets of the city of Bucha.
- Since the start of the invasion Russia has denied accusations that it has targeted civilians or committed war crimes in Ukraine. The Kremlin called Biden's "war criminal" comments "unacceptable."
- Russia's chief investigator last week ordered an investigation into what he described as a Ukrainian "provocation," following Kyiv's allegations that Russian forces massacred civilians in Bucha, per Reuters.
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