President Biden on Tuesday appeared to accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing genocide in Ukraine, an escalation of his administration’s rhetoric on Russia.
Biden made the remark when discussing recent efforts to address higher gas prices caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“I’m doing everything within my power by executive orders to bring down the price and address the Putin price hike,” he told an audience in Menlo, Iowa.
“Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide half a world away,” Biden said.
The Biden administration has accused Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine but has stopped short of deeming civilian killings “genocide,” a term that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has used.
Biden’s comments come days after Russian missiles struck a train station in Ukraine, killing more than 50 people.
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