The Russian Foreign Ministry declared to United States Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan in a March 21st meeting that diplomatic relations between the two states are “on the verge of rupture.” This announcement retorts U.S. President Biden’s assertion to White House reporters that Russian President Putin is a “war criminal” for his role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov previously referred to these comments by Biden as “personal insults.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has since announced that the State Department formally claimed that Russian forces have committed war crimes and Biden repeated his charge against Putin when visiting U.S. service members and Ukrainian refugees in Rzeszów, Poland.
State Department Spokesman Ned Price expressed the U.S.’s desire to maintain relations with Russia, but doubted Russia’s desire to do the same when he claimed, “[Russia’s actions] call into question whether they, too, welcome these same open lines of communication.” U.S. officials have stood behind Biden’s claim despite Russian objections. “Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime. After all the destruction of the past three weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise,” stated Blinken in reference to the charges against Russian forces.
Russian attacks such as the airstrike against the Mariupol theatre (which was being used as a shelter) and a maternity hospital showcase Putin’s disregard for civilian casualties in his war against Ukraine. While maintaining diplomatic relations with Russia allows for easier negotiation, upholding war crimes accusations against Russian forces must supersede this goal. The U.S. should ensure that Putin and his regime are held accountable for their crimes in Ukraine by pursuing cases through the International Crimes Court and any other available means. The next step to hold Putin accountable should be for the U.S. and its allies to withdraw diplomatic recognition of Putin’s government due to its human rights violations at home and aggression in Ukraine. Taking this action would isolate the Russian government, preventing it from advocating for its interests diplomatically. Denying Putin’s sovereignty over Russia could also legitimize his opposition and provide justification for the Russian people to pursue their self-determination.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th with the aim of overthrowing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, destroying Ukrainian military capabilities, and preventing Ukraine from joining NATO. NATO has condemned this invasion and has supported Ukraine with arms and humanitarian aid while also applying sanctions on Russian oligarchs and military goods. After failing to achieve the immediate success they originally predicted, Russian officials have altered these aims and instead claim the goal of the conflict as protecting the independence of the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk republics in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
When speaking to CNBC about the current state of the Russian military, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker stated, “They’re bogged down. They’re having trouble with supplies. They are having trouble with ammunition. They are not able to take the major cities. They’re not advancing. They are showing a lot of desperate measures.” Russia’s desperation in Ukraine has become clear through its attacks on civilian targets and shifting of war aims. This desperation is largely the result of Ukrainian military resistance, however, NATO sanctions and businesses leaving Russia can also have a strong effect by reducing Russian morale over time.
Action must be taken to further reduce Russian morale by trying Putin’s regime for war crimes and breaking off diplomatic relations. While the immediate effect of these actions would be to make open communication with Russia more difficult, the long term impact of delegitimizing the Russian government and, thus, weakening the Russian population’s morale regarding the war in Ukraine would create the conditions for ending the war in Ukraine and reducing Putin’s authority over Russia.
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