Joe Biden Calls Russia's Invasion of Ukraine 'Genocide' for the First Time

U.S. President Joe Biden has described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "genocide" for the first time.

Biden made the statement while announcing new initiatives to lower the cost of energy, which has jumped since Russia's attack against Ukraine, according to a Newsweek report.

The president said that he was addressing the "Putin price hike," referencing to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The United States and other officials have accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine after reports have surfaced that Russia has deliberately targeted civilians.

Biden is accusing Putin of a serious crime under international law by calling Putin's actions "genocide."

The term genocide was first used to describe Nazi Germany's efforts to exterminate Jewish people during the Holocaust.

The United Nations has since used the term to describe attempts to "destroy, in whole or in part, a national ethnical, racial, or religious group."

Pres. Joe Biden Calling Russia's Attack on Ukraine 'Genocide'

President Joe Biden said that more evidence is emerging about the "horrible things" that Russians have done in Ukraine.

He added that people are going to learn more and more about it while saying that they will let lawyers decide, internationally, whether or not it qualifies as genocide, according to an NBC News report.

The president concluded that it seems that way to him.

Biden had stopped short of calling the attacks in Bucha a genocide when asked by reporters whether Russian troops' actions there fit the description.

White House National Security adviser Jake Sullivan said at the time that the killings documented in Ukraine did not rise to the level of genocide as defined by the U.S. government.

Biden said that he calls it genocide as it is becoming clearer and clearer that Putin is just "trying to wipe out even the idea of being Ukrainian."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the killings in Bucha is considered a genocide.

Russia-Ukraine Crisis

Biden's statement drew praise from Zelenskyy through a tweet. He said that "calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil."

Zelenskyy has also expressed his gratitude for the U.S. assistance, adding that Ukraine will need more heavy weapons to "prevent further Russian atrocities."

Meanwhile, Ukraine announced that Russian military hackers tried and failed to attack the country's energy infrastructure last week, according to a CNBC News report.

Ukraine's summary of the incident noted that the attack was aimed to infiltrate computers connected to multiple substations and delete all files. It would then shut the said infrastructure down.

Zelenskyy also announced the apparent capture of a pro-Kremlin politician living in Ukraine, Viktor Medvedchuk.

He was in Ukraine under house arrest on treason charges. He allegedly escaped shortly after Russia started its invasion of Ukraine.

In addition, the Ukrainian president has called on the world to respond "preventively" to unconfirmed reports that Russia used chemical weapons in Mariupol, according to an Aljazeera News report.

Zelenskyy said that it is impossible to conduct a full investigation and full analysis of the besieged city.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Biden says Russia is committing 'genocide' - from Associated Press