US trying to ‘demonize Moscow’ with Ukraine accusations: Russia

Vice President Harris’ declaration that Russia is committing crimes against humanity is an “attempt to demonize Moscow,” Russia’s ambassador to the US said Sunday — as he blamed America for “fueling” the nearly yearlong crisis.

“We consider such insinuations as an attempt, unprecedented in terms of its cynicism, to demonize Russia in the course of a hybrid war, unleashed against us,” Anatoly Antonov said in a statement posted on the social messaging platform Telegram.

“There is no doubt that the purpose of such attacks is to justify Washington’s own actions to fuel the Ukrainian crisis,” he continued, blasting the US for providing an array of weapons to Ukraine in its defense against Russian forces. ​

Harris at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday accused Russia of carrying out “widespread and systematic” attacks on civilians in the year since President Putin launched the invasion into neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

“Their actions are an assault on our common values, an attack on our common humanity,” Harris said, citing evidence of execution-style killings, rape and torture. “The United States has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity.”

“Let us all agree: on behalf of all the victims, both known and unknown: justice must be served.”

The vice president pledged in her keynote address that the US will continue to support Ukraine in the war and “will make sure that whoever was involved in those crimes will be held accountable​.​”

Secretary of State Antony B​linken, who also attended the security conference, said the US has determined that the accusations raised by Harris are “starkly clear.”

​​”And we’ve seen that almost from day one. We saw it in Bucha, when the Russian tide receded, we saw what was left in its wake, and it’s horrific. And we continue to see it across the country, the fact that they’re targeting civilians, targeting civilian infrastructure, so that people freeze to death, don’t have the lights on​,” he said in an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday. 

“We will, as always, look at every legal possibility when it comes to going after the atrocities that Russia is committing in Ukraine​,” he said.​​

Two top Republicans — Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Michael McCaul — called on the Biden administration to ramp up its military assistance to Ukraine, including F-16 jet fighters, in light of Harris’ comments.

“They need the weapons system,” Graham said on ABC News’ “This Week”

“We’re talking about the vice president of the United States declaring that Russia is involved in crimes against humanity in Germany of all places, echoes of World War II. How can you say that – and she is correct – and not give the victim of the crime against humanity the defensive weapons they need to stop the crime?”

The South Carolina Republican also said Biden should designate Russia as “state sponsored terrorism under US law.”

McCaul, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said “I hope so” when asked if he supported sending F-16 jets to Ukraine.

 “I think the momentum is building for this to happen. The fact is, the longer they wait, the longer this conflict will prevail,” McCaul of Texas said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

The US has sent Ukraine roughly $30 billion in military aid and security assistance, including tanks, missiles and missile defense systems, but so far the president has drawn a line against sending fighter jets to Kyiv.