Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Ukraine: Putin has already carried out war crimes - Boris Johnson

Ukraine: Putin has already carried out war crimes - Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine.

At Prime Minister's Questions, he said bombing innocent civilians "already fully qualifies as a war crime".

He was responding to the Scottish National Party's Ian Blackford, who called for Mr Putin to be prosecuted.

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has already accused Russia of war crimes after air strikes on the country's second city, Kharkiv.

A week in to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, attacks on key cities have intensified, with fighting raging in the north, east and south.

On Tuesday, Boris Johnson described the tactics used by the Russian military under orders from Mr Putin as "barbaric and indiscriminate".

"With every passing hour, the world is witnessing the horrors of Putin's war in Ukraine," said the SNP's Westminster leader Mr Blackford. He called for Mr Putin to be prosecuted for the "full range" of war crime charges available.

Mr Johnson replied: "What we have seen already from Vladimir Putin's regime in the use of the munitions that they have already been dropping on innocent civilians, in my view, already fully qualifies as a war crime.

"I know that the ICC prosecutor is already investigating, and I am sure the whole House will support that."

The office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said on Monday that it would seek court approval to open an investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

On Wednesday the UK government said 38 nations had grouped together to expedite an ICC investigation, calling it the largest referral in the history of the court.

The government said the referral would enable the prosecutor to proceed straight to an investigation, without the need for judicial approval.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK was "willing to provide the necessary technical assistance to support successful convictions" and stressed the importance of preserving "all evidence of war crimes".

Asked about Mr Johnson's remarks after PMQs, Downing Street said possible war crimes were occurring daily in Ukraine.

Mr Johnson's official spokesman agreed the Russian attack on the Babyn Yar holocaust memorial in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the targeting of apartment blocks constituted war crimes.

The spokesman said: "Obviously, formally it will be for a criminal court to make that ruling but I think no-one can be in any doubt that what we're seeing daily, almost hourly now, are horrific acts that would certainly appear to be war crimes."

Earlier, in a phone call, Mr Johnson and Mr Zelensky agreed sanctions must go further to exert maximum pressure on Russia.

The UK has partnered with Western allies to enact sweeping sanctions on Russia, including against Russian banks, businesses and people.

In the call, Mr Johnson told Mr Zelensky the UK was rallying the United Nations General Assembly to ensure the "strongest possible condemnation" of Russia and its president at its meeting in New York later on Wednesday, a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

The general assembly is due to vote on a motion demanding an immediate end to Russia's invasion and the withdrawal of all of its troops.

The prime minister's spokesman said Mr Johnson wants to see a message from the UN that the "world abhors" the violence in Ukraine, according to his official spokesman.

He added Mr Johnson was speaking with a number of world leaders to ensure countries speak with a "unified voice" to send a "direct message to Vladimir Putin".

At the start of PMQs, MPs, many wearing the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag, gave a standing ovation in support of the Ukrainian ambassador, who was watching from the public gallery.

The applause, not usually permitted in Parliament, lasted for almost a minute.

Mr Johnson had opened the session by condemning Mr Putin's "abhorrent assault on a sovereign nation", adding the Russian leader had "gravely miscalculated" the Ukrainian people's resolve to fight and the willingness of the "free world in standing up to his barbarism".


Watch: Do Russia's attacks on Ukraine amount to war crimes? Ros Atkins investigates

Watch MPs in UK Parliament stand and clap for the Ukrainian ambassador, who was attending Prime Minister's Questions


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
0:00
0:00
Open
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
Man Group Mandates Full-Time Office Return for Quantitative Analysts
JPMorgan Warns Analysts Against Accepting Future-Dated Job Offers
Builder.ai Faces Legal Scrutiny Amid Financial Misreporting Allegations
Japan Grapples with Rice Shortage Amid Soaring Prices
Goldman Sachs Reduces Risk Exposure Amid Market Volatility
HSBC Chairman Mark Tucker to Return to AIA as Non-Executive Chair
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Judge Blocks Trump's Ban on International Students at Harvard
Trump Proposes Travel Ban on 'Uncontrolled' Countries
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
Hungary Partners with China to Boost Electric Vehicle Production
‘Vibe Coding’ Emerges as the New DIY Trend
AI Pioneer Yoshua Bengio Warns Models Can Deceive Users
Big Four Firms Rush to Create AI Auditing Systems
Musk’s xAI Pursues $113 Billion Valuation in New Share Sale
Walmart Increases Revenue Despite Shrinking Workforce
Hims & Hers Plans UK and EU Launch of Replica Obesity Drugs
Toyota to Acquire Supplier in $33 Billion Buyout
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
BlackRock-Backed Fintech Aims to Become Europe’s Charles Schwab
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Europe's Strategic Push to Challenge Dollar Dominance
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
Macron Lightheartedly Addresses Viral 'Shove' Incident in Indonesia
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Eurozone Inflation Falls Below ECB Target to 1.9%
Blackstone and Rivals Diverge on Private Equity Strategy
Call for a New Chapter in Globalisation Emerges
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
×