Russia is Committing War Crimes

Floor Speech

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Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, yesterday, the House of Representatives heard from Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as he painted a haunting picture of pain inflicted on the Ukrainian people and the war crimes being waged on Ukrainians trying to keep themselves and their families safe.

It is clear, Madam Speaker, that Vladimir Putin has committed war crimes by violating international norms, including the Geneva Convention, in his violent and bloody war of conquest on Ukraine.

I, along with Congressman David Cicilline, have introduced a war crimes resolution, H. Res. 964, calling on the global community to hold Vladimir Putin and the Russian Government accountable for these war crimes.

Russian forces have used explosive weapons with wide-range effects near schools and populated areas, hitting them with missiles, rockets, and heavy artillery. It is clearly a violation of the Geneva Convention to target civilian and cultural sites.

On March 1, a Russian airstrike hit Freedom Square in Kharkiv, killing civilians and injuring dozens of innocent people.

On March 1, a Russian missile hit the location of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial site, a place where thousands of Jewish people were killed between 1941 and 1943.

On March 3, 47 civilians were killed when Russia hit two schools and apartment buildings, injuring countless others. This is clearly a violation of the Geneva Convention.

We have also witnessed the attack of medical units. On March 9, Russian forces bombed a maternity and children's hospital in the city of Mariupol. The world watched as a pregnant woman was being carried lifeless from the hospital wreckage on a stretcher. Both she and her child passed away.

The World Health Organization has also confirmed several attacks on healthcare centers in Ukraine, causing countless deaths and injuries.

It is clearly a violation of the Geneva Convention to target nuclear facilities. On March 3, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy accused Russian forces of nuclear terror as Russian tanks shot at the nuclear blocks at a nuclear power station in Ukraine.

More than 3 million people are now refugees who have fled Ukraine, Madam Speaker. Each day in Ukraine, more than 70,000 children have become refugees. That accounts for 55 children fleeing the country every minute.

There have been over 2,000 civilian casualties in the country, and thousands upon thousands of people have been injured. Yesterday, the International Court of Justice overwhelmingly found that Russia must immediately suspend its unlawful military invasion of Ukraine.

It is clear, Madam Speaker, that Vladimir Putin and the Russian Government have committed war crimes. They have invaded a sovereign nation and are attacking the very core of liberty and democracy. We must hold them accountable and do all we can to support the brave Ukrainians fighting for their freedom.

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