Vladimir Putin Declared 'War Criminal' By US Senate In Unanimous Vote

Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially been declared a 'war criminal' in a unanimous vote from the US Senate.

Putin's 'special military operation' has now stretched into its 21st day. An estimated three million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the conflict amid thousands of civilian casualties, with shelling continuing to rock major cities across the country.

Coming after a maternity and children's hospital was bombed in Mariupol, Russian troops have now occupied a hospital in the city, where 500 people are being held hostage.

Led by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who was recently criticised for saying someone should 'take out' Putin, the Senate passed a unanimous resolution condemning the Russian president as a war criminal.

Prior to the vote, Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said: 'All of us in this chamber joined together, with Democrats and Republicans, to say that Vladimir Putin cannot escape accountability for the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people,' as per The Independent.

The resolution which not only condemns Putin, but Russia, the Russian security council and members of the Russian military committing war crimes in Ukraine, was also supported by US Representative Victoria Spartz, the only Ukrainian-American in Congress.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid also said Putin will be 'held responsible' for war crimes in Ukraine at the international criminal court in The Hague.

Commenting on the pregnant woman who died after being stretchered out of the hospital in Mariupol, along with her baby, Javid said: 'It fills me with rage to see something like that. These are appalling atrocities committed on innocent civilians in Ukraine by the Russians.'

'These are war crimes and Putin will be held responsible... he will be ultimately held responsible for sure by the international court.

'Today, the justice secretary [Dominic Raab], my colleague, is going to The Hague and he’ll be meeting there with the chief prosecutor and others, offering UK support to gather evidence.'

Speaking from The Hague, Raab said: 'Right now, there's a big emphasis on preservation of evidence of war crimes that may or may not have happened.

'But also what's coming down the line as Putin responds in ever more barbaric ways to the situation stuttering and stumbling that he's been driving on the ground in terms of his own military campaign.'

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