Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, US Vice President Kamala Harris Saturday said that the US has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine. Joining annual forum for academics, governments, and diplomats to debate pressing challenges to international security, Harris reaffirmed US support for Ukraine. She stated:

In the case of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, we have examined the evidence.  We know the legal standards.  And there is no doubt these are crimes against humanity. The United States has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity. And I say to all those who have perpetrated these crimes and to their superiors who are complicit in these crimes: You will be held to account.

Tune in as I speak at the Munich Security Conference about the stakes in Ukraine. https://t.co/woJdFABnbH

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) February 18, 2023

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke at the conference, saying:

Based on a careful analysis of the law and available facts, I have determined that members of Russia’s forces and other Russian officials have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine. Members of Russia’s forces have committed execution-style killings of Ukrainian men, women, and children; torture of civilians in detention through beatings, electrocution, and mock executions; rape; and, alongside other Russian officials, have deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians to Russia, including children who have been forcibly separated from their families.

Harris and Blinken reaffirmed the message that there can be no impunity for Russia’s crimes and that the international community “must collectively renew our commitment to accountability and the rule of law,” reaffirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as enshrined in Article 2(4) of the UN Charter.