Russia’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told the U.S. ambassador in Moscow that U.S.
President Joe Biden’s recent comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin
have strained ties between the two countries to “the verge of breaking.”
Last week,
Biden branded the Russian leader as a “war criminal” amid the invasion of Ukraine, drawing condemnation from the Foreign
Ministry on March 21. Several other White House officials, including Defense
Secretary Lloyd Austin, used similar rhetoric over the past weekend.
Russia’s
Foreign Ministry told ambassador John Sullivan that “such statements from the
American president, unworthy of a statesman of such high rank, put
Russian–American relations on the verge of breaking,” according to a translated statement.
The
ministry also stated that “hostile actions taken against Russia will meet
decisive and firm pushback,” according to the statement. At the same time, it
told Sullivan that it requires “guarantees” that Russian embassies and
consulates in the United States would “function smoothly.”
On March
21, European Union countries also accused the Russian armed forces of
committing war crimes in Ukraine. But they appeared unlikely to impose new
sanctions on Moscow, despite a clamor across Europe for those responsible for
attacks on civilians to be held accountable.
The
International Criminal Court in the Netherlands stated that it’s gathering
evidence about any possible war crimes in Ukraine, but Russia—like the United
States—doesn’t recognize the tribunal’s jurisdiction.
International
sanctions have cut Russia off from the world’s financial system. However,
Europe, which is the country’s main energy buyer, has made an exception for
Russian gas and oil.
Large
international corporations have said that they won’t do business inside Russia
and that they won’t make any new investments in the country, citing the
conflict.
Earlier
in the day, Ukrainian officials rejected Russia’s calls for troops inside the
besieged city of Mariupol to lay down their arms and surrender. The
Russian Ministry of Defense said authorities in Mariupol could face a military
tribunal if they side with Ukrainian nationalist forces, Russian state news
agency RIA Novosti reported.
“There
can be no talk of any surrender, laying down of arms,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime
Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told media outlet Ukrayinska Pravda.
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