US determines Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine, VP Harris says

Vice President Kamala Harris announced the United States has determined the Russian military is committing crimes against humanity in its invasion of Ukraine.

Harris made the remarks on Saturday during her speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

“The United States has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity,” Harris said.

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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, southern Germany, on Feb. 18, 2023.  (THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images)

“From the starting days of this unprovoked war, we have witnessed Russian forces engage in horrendous atrocities and war crimes. Their actions are an assault on our common values, an attack on our common humanity,” Harris said.

Harris arrived Thursday morning in Munich, where she was greeted by Minister-President of Bavaria Markus Söder. 

The conference runs from Feb. 17-19 and gathers world leaders to discuss pressing international security issues, including the war in Ukraine.

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Vice President Kamala Harris stands on stage with the Chairman of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) Christoph Heusgen at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, southern Germany, on Feb. 18, 2023. (THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images)

“And let us be clear. Russian forces have pursued a wide spread and systemic attack against a civilian population,” she continued. “Gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape and deportation. Executions, killings, beatings and electrocution. Russian authorities have forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of people from Ukraine to Russia, including children.”

The Munich Security Report, which was released on Feb. 13, includes “exclusive data and graphics on current security policy issues,” and hones in on authoritarian regimes on the global platform as highlighted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Harris referenced her past as a prosecutor in California during her speech, saying that her career has made her knowledgeable on the nature of criminal cases and the legal process of proving guilt.

Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris waves while on stage to speak at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. The 59th Munich Security Conference (MSC) is taking place from Feb. 17 to Feb. 19, 2023, at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich.  (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

“Long before I was vice president of the United States, I spent the majority of my career as a prosecutor, beginning as a young lawyer in the courtroom and later running the California Department of Justice,” Harris said.

She continued, “I know firsthand the importance of gathering facts and holding them up against the law. 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.”