Ukraine war: Russia has committed crimes against humanity, US says

The US has "formally determined" that Russia had committed crimes against humanity successful Ukraine, US Vice-President Kamala Harris has said.

Speaking astatine the Munich Security Conference, Ms Harris accused Russia of "gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape and deportation" since its invasion.

World leaders astatine the league called for semipermanent enactment of Ukraine.

UK PM Rishi Sunak said present was the clip to "double down" connected subject support.

The premier curate argued that Western allies indispensable commencement readying for the aboriginal information of Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic sending the weapons it needs to support itself now.

The league successful Germany comes arsenic the one-year day of Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine approaches connected 24 February.

Ms Harris told the league that the perpetrators of alleged Russian crimes successful Ukraine indispensable beryllium held to account.

"Their actions are an battle connected our communal values and our communal humanity," she said.

The UN defines crimes against humanity arsenic a "widespread oregon systemic attack" connected a peculiar civilian population.

Moscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilians during its invasion.

"In the lawsuit of Russia's actions successful Ukraine we person examined the evidence, we cognize the ineligible standards, and determination is nary doubt: these are crimes against humanity," Ms Harris, a erstwhile prosecutor, told the conference.

She cited "barbaric and inhumane" atrocities during the warfare successful Ukraine, including the scores of bodies recovered in Bucha soon aft the penetration and the bombing of a theatre successful Mariupol.

"Let america each agree: connected behalf of each the victims, some known and unknown, justness indispensable beryllium served," Ms Harris said.

Crimes against humanity are tried astatine the International Criminal Court (ICC).

But the ICC has nary powers to apprehension suspects and tin lone workout jurisdiction wrong countries which signed up to the statement that acceptable up the court.

Russia is not a signatory to that agreement, truthful it is improbable to extradite immoderate suspects.

The three-day gathering successful Munich volition supply a cardinal trial of Western enactment for Kyiv arsenic some sides successful the warfare hole for outpouring offensives.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Moscow had "waged a genocidal war" due to the fact that it did not deliberation Ukrainians "deserve to beryllium arsenic a sovereign nation".

Tens of thousands person mislaid their lives and millions person been forced from their homes arsenic portion of Vladimir Putin's invasion.