Why some world leaders are refusing to term Russias actions as genocide

US President Joe Biden finally declared Russia’s Ukraine war “genocide,” but why some world leaders are steering away from calling Moscow’s atrocities more than just war crimes!

The French and German leaders on Wednesday declined to echo Biden’s accusation that Russia was carrying out “genocide” against Ukrainians. Both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believe that the verbal escalations would not help end the war.

“I would say that Russia unilaterally unleashed the most brutal war, that it is now established that war crimes were committed by the Russian army and that it is now necessary to find those responsible and make them face justice,” Macron told France 2 television as he begins ramping up his re-election campaign against far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

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“It’s madness what’s happening, it’s incredibly brutal,” Macron added.

“But at the same time I look at the facts and I want to try as much as possible to continue to be able to stop this war and to rebuild peace. I’m not sure that verbal escalations serve this cause,” he said, adding that it was best to be “careful” with the terminology on genocide in these situations, especially as “the Ukrainians and Russians are brotherly peoples.”

However, his comments did not go down well with Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko, who described Macron’s stance as “disappointing.”

Nikolenko also called the French leader’s claim that Ukrainians and Russians are “brotherly peoples” as offensive, adding that this “myth began to crumble in 2014” when Russia annexed Crimea.

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There is “no longer any moral or real reason to talk about fraternal ties,” he said.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also on Wednesday spoke of war crimes in Ukraine but was careful not to use the term genocide.

“This is a terrible war in Eastern Europe. And I think that’s what shouldn’t be minimised,” Scholz told German radio RBB.

“War crimes are being committed,” he added.

The United States has long distanced itself from acknowledging Russia’s actions in Ukraine as genocide. However, on Tuesday, Biden remarked on the situation in Ukraine calling his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a “dictator,” blaming him for recent price hikes at US pumps. The price jumped 8.5% in the consumer price index compared to a year ago.

Also Read | Joe Biden finally says Russian atrocities in Ukraine qualify as genocide

“Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide half a world away,” Biden said. 

Later when he was asked by reporters about his sudden change in rhetoric, Biden said that he now believes Russia is waging a genocidal war in Ukraine.

“I called it genocide because it’s become clearer and clearer that  Putin is just trying to wipe out even the idea of being Ukrainian. The evidence is mounting,” Biden told reporters after his speech, according to CNN.