(NewsNation) — The Biden administration Wednesday made a formal determination that Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine and said it would work to prosecute offenders, according to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Blinken pointed to “numerous credible reports of indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilians, as well as other atrocities.” He specifically cited attacks on civilians in Mariupol.
The designation marks a change in tone for the administration, which was reluctant to use the term “war crimes” in the first few weeks of the invasion.
But will Russia and Putin be held responsible for the atrocities or is the designation simply a symbolic gesture?
Even if Putin never stands trial for war crimes, some say the label itself will make him more of an international pariah than many already perceive him to be.
“He’s (Putin) become a little bit of Pepe Le Pew and everyone’s going to try to keep their distance from him so as not to be contaminated by that label, the label of being a war criminal. So there is some power to it,” said former White House Director of Global Engagement Brett Bruen, a Thursday guest on “Dan Abrams Live.”
Bruen said there are also practical reasons for the designation. For one, it’s important to apply the label now because the political situation in Russia could change, in which case, Putin could be removed from power and find himself sitting in an EU jail cell.
A longer investigation could also bring down others in Putin’s circle, Bruen pointed out.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the siege of the port city of Mariupol would go down in history for what he said were war crimes committed by Russian troops.
“There are also a number of other Russian officials who this could implicate and they potentially could find themselves traveling and eventually arrested in some international airport or destination,” he said.
““We are trying to organize stable humanitarian corridors for Mariupol residents, but almost all of our attempts, unfortunately, are foiled by the Russian occupiers, by shelling or deliberate terror,” Zelenskyy said.
The invasion has driven more than 10 million people from their homes, almost a quarter of Ukraine’s population, according to the United Nations.