Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 17, 2022. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

i24 News – The US administration of President Joe Biden formally determined that Russia committed “crimes against humanity” in the course of its nearly year-long invasion of Ukraine, US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Saturday.

“In the case of Russia’s actions in Ukraine we have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards, and there is no doubt: these are crimes against humanity,” Harris, a former prosecutor, said in prepared remarks delivered in a speech at the Munich Security Conference. “And I say to all those who have perpetrated these crimes, and to their superiors who are complicit in those crimes, you will be held to account.”

“Russian forces have pursued a widespread and systemic attack against a civilian population — gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape, and deportation,” Harris said. She also cited “execution-style killings, beatings, and electrocution.”

“Russian authorities have forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of people, from Ukraine to Russia, including children,” Harris added. “They have cruelly separated children from their families.”

Harris also hailed Ukraine’s success in standing up to Russia’s invasion.

“Kyiv is still standing, Russia is weakened, the transatlantic alliance is stronger than ever and, most importantly, the spirit of the Ukrainian people endures,” she said.