Ukraine-Russia War Live Updates: U.S. Finds Russian Forces Have Committed War Crimes
The U.S on Wednesday said it believes Russian forces have committed war crimes in the country’s invasion of Ukraine, a statement made as President Joe Biden traveled to Europe to meet with allies and as a new round of sanctions is expected in an attempt to pressure Moscow to end the war.
The Biden administration and U.S. allies are discussing whether Russia should be removed from the G-20 group of countries that tackles global economic issues, sources familiar with the matter said.
NATO will meet at a summit Thursday, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to give an address via video link.
In a sign that a Russian assault on the capital has failed to gain traction, Ukrainian forces have rolled back Russian troops east of Kyiv by at least 25 kilometers and stymied the Russians to the northwest of the city, a senior U.S. defense official said.
At least 7,000 Russian troops have died in the first month of the war in Ukraine, but the actual number could be roughly double that amount, a NATO official said.
Also Wednesday, Biden called Russia’s potential use of chemical weapons a “real threat.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to rule out the possibility that Russia could use nuclear weapons in the conflict, telling CNN that his country would consider doing so if it were facing an “existential threat.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the world in 4 weeks, and it’s far from over
One month ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin went on television to announce he was invading Ukraine and warned the West that attempts to intervene could be met with nuclear retaliation.
In the four weeks since, Russian forces have launched airstrikes, laid siege to its cities, and prompted millions to flee the worst violence Europe has seen in decades. The conflict has reshaped the geopolitical landscape, widening a divide between Moscow and the West redolent of the Cold War. And it has already raised fears of global economic and food crises.
The invasion was predicted for months by Western intelligence agencies and analysts on social media, but while its effects have shaken the world, perhaps the biggest surprise has been a Russian military campaign widely regarded as disastrous to this point.
That’s contrasted with a staunch Ukrainian defense, bolstered by support from dozens of allies including the United States, and inspired by the talismanic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy