LVIV, Ukraine — President Joe Biden called for a war-crimes trial of Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Monday following the discovery of mass graves and streets littered with the bodies of dead civilians after the Russian retreat from suburbs around Kyiv.
“You saw what happened in Bucha,” Biden told reporters, referring to a town near Kyiv where numerous civilians were found dead, some bearing marks of torture or execution. The Ukrainian government said it has counted more than 400 civilian deaths so far in the suburbs of the capital city.
Biden previously branded Putin a “war criminal” in remarks March 17, but at that time the White House said he was speaking personally and not outlining a formal U.S. position. But six days later, the U.S. formally accused Russia of war crimes and said it was collecting evidence to help prove it.
