By John Okeke
President Joe Biden called Vladimir Putin a war criminal for the first time after announcing an $800million military package to be sent to Ukraine and watching Volodymyr Zelensky urge him to step up and be the ‘leader of peace’.
Biden said ‘I think he is a war criminal’ when asked by reporters following an event on Wednesday afternoon.
It came after he provided a detailed laundry list at the White House Wednesday of a new tranche of $800 million in deadly arms the U.S. is providing to Ukraine as it it continues to fight against Russia’s invasion.
Moscow’s autocratic leader, meanwhile, sent a chilling warning to the West on Wednesday that its ‘attempts to have global dominance’ were coming to an end.
Biden spoke hours after Zelensky’s pleaded for more assistance.
The president acknowledged Zelensky’s ‘significant speech’ that showed Ukraine’s ‘remarkable courage in the face of brutal aggression,’ before turning to the contents of the package.
Facing pressure from members of both parties to do more, Biden cast Ukraine’s struggle in broad strokes. ‘It’s about freedom. It’s about the right of people to determine their own future. It’s about making sure that Ukraine will never be a victory for Putin,’ he said of the Russian president.
‘We’re going to give Ukraine the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead,’ Biden pledged, as he faces pressure from Congress and from Zelensky to provide Ukraine with a means to defend itself.
He also spoke in unusual detail about the latest package of aid, which brings U.S. military assistance to $1 billion just this week.
It includes 800 anti-aircraft systems, 9,000 anti-armor systems, portable ‘high accuracy’ shoulder mounted missiles, and 7,000 small arms, plus machine guns, shotguns, and grenade launchers.
He said the package would include drones, ‘which demonstrates our commitment to sending our most cutting-edge systems to Ukraine for its defense.’ He didn’t specify if he meant the latest kamikaze killer drones that the administration had been considering.
Biden said the package included ‘additional longer range anti-aircraft systems,’ which he described as coming at Zelensky’s request.
One thing Biden didn’t mention and didn’t want to talk about were MiG fighter jets Zelensky is pleading for.
The administration scuttled a plan to have Poland transfer the jets to the U.S. for transfer.
When signing a document directing the transfer, Biden wouldn’t comment when asked about the jets.
A number of lawmakers, including Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Wednesday, have called on Biden to provide the planes, despite the administration’s concern it could lead to escalation.
‘This could be a long and difficult battle,’ Biden predicted, as the invasion approached the end of its third week.
He denounced ‘Putin’s immoral and unethical attacks,’ and said the world was ‘united in our abhorrence of Putin’s depraved onslaught.’
Biden also cited international efforts to put pressure on Russia’s ‘crumbling’ economy, while ‘isolating Putin’ on the global stage. Zelensky also urged more action on that front, urging sanctions not only on Putin but on cronies deep within his government.
‘That’s our goal. Make Putin pay the price, weaken his position, while strengthening the hand of the Ukrainians on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. Together with our allies and partners, we’re going to stay the course. and we’re going to to push for to push for and end this tragic and unnecessary war,’ Biden said, while flanked by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley.
Biden spoke at the White House shortly after Zelensky addressed the Congress in the first virtual address.
‘I need to protect our skies. I need your help, which means the same you feel when you hear I have a dream,’ he said.
‘We need you right now,’ Zelensky said, adding: ‘I call on you to do more.’
