Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday said Russian President Vladimir Putin is “systemically targeting civilians” and “deliberately committing” war crimes, as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine progresses through its sixth week.
Asked during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” if he believes Russia is committing a genocide in Ukraine, Trudeau told co-anchor Jake Tapper that images of the acts carried out in Ukraine are “horrific.”
“The images are horrific, the stories we’re hearing and we have been hearing from Ukrainian Canadians, but through social media as well, of what’s going on,” Trudeau said.
“It is clear that Putin is systematically targeting civilians, whether it’s hospitals or train stations or maternity wards. This is one of the reasons why Canada was one of the first countries to call on the International Criminal Court to look into Putin’s war crimes,” he added.
The prime minister said Canada is “providing investigating support” and “building up the case for people to recognize that not only was this a terrible mistake to violate the sovereignty of another country and create massive global instability that’s impacting energy and food prices around the world, but it is also a series of war crimes that Putin is deliberately committing that he needs to be held to account for.”
Pressed by Tapper on whether the actions constitute a genocide, Trudeau said, “Those are the things that will be determined.”
“Obviously, the messages we’re seeing, the stories of what Russian soldiers are doing, not just the murder of civilians, but the systematic use of sexual violence and rape, to destabilize and have the greatest negative impact on Ukrainian people as possible is absolutely unforgivable and unacceptable,” he said.
“And that’s why the global community is going to and is responding so strongly,” he added.
More than 4.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.
Trudeau on Sunday said Canada has already taken in 14,000 refugees and is “continuing to do many, many more, the number of Canadians, of Ukrainian Canadians, Canadians of all backgrounds who are opening their homes, their communities to welcome in people fleeing the violence.”
“Canada will always be there for as many as choose to come to Canada,” he added.