Joe Biden has accused Russia of “genocide” in Ukraine. Others remain reluctant to use this word, while others reject it entirely, preferring to speak of “war crimes.”
This question is not unanimous. This Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced “very hurtful” remarks after Emmanuel Macron refused to use the term “genocide” to describe the situation in Ukraine, particularly in relation to the Boutcha massacre or the Mariupol attacks .
The Ukrainian President has accused Russia of committing genocide in his country, saying it intends to annihilate the whole nation of Ukraine. He used this word for the first time in early April, the day after the discovery of many bodies of civilians in the streets of Boutcha, after the withdrawal of Russian troops. Since then, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has used this term regularly.
Those leaders who use the word “genocide.”
The first country to endorse this rhetoric: Poland, which has shown great solidarity with its neighbor since the start of the Russian invasion. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said: “The bloody massacres committed by Russian soldiers deserve to be called by their names. This is genocide and it must be judged.
But the position that made the most noise came from across the Atlantic. This Tuesday, Joe Biden surprised everyone by speaking about “genocide,” while a week earlier he skirted the snag of speaking about war crimes instead.
“Your purchasing power, your ability to refuel – none of that should depend on a dictator on the other side of the world declaring war and committing genocide,” he said during a trip dedicated to fighting inflation.
“I said genocide because it’s becoming increasingly clear that Putin is trying to erase the very notion of being Ukrainian,” he later told CNN.
A statement that caused a stir, especially on the part of Moscow, which considered such statements to be “unacceptable”. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the other hand described Joe Biden as “a true leader” who “calls things by their name”.
Those who remain cautious
Other western leaders take more tongs but are going in the same direction. “International bodies will officially decide [ce qu’il se passe en Ukraine]but it is certain that we can speak more and more of genocide, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in early April that the West must do everything in its power to ensure those responsible for “these alleged cases of crimes against humanity, war crimes and – why not say it right away – genocide” do not go unpunished.
On the other side of the channel, Boris Johnson also believes that Russia’s behavior in Ukraine “is not far from genocidal”. However, the UK does not use this term officially, as it believes that only a court can make such a qualification.
who refuse
“I’m not sure the escalation of words serves the cause.” Asked about the issue, Emmanuel Macron refused to call Russian abuses in Ukraine “genocide,” believing it was necessary ” to remain cautious” when using this word. I would be careful with such terms today, because these two peoples [Russes et Ukrainiens] are brothers,” commented the head of state.
“I would say that Russia started a brutal war unilaterally, that it is now clear that the Russian army committed war crimes and that we now need to find those responsible,” he told France 2.
A warning that Chancellor Olaf Scholz also shares. “It’s a terrible war in Eastern Europe. And I don’t think that should be downplayed. It’s a terrible war and war crimes are being committed,” he said, for example, on RBB.
Likewise, the heads of state and government of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, Josep Borrell and Roberta Metsola, who nevertheless visited Ukrainian territory, do not speak of genocide either. “We have seen our humanity shaken here,” she commented on a visit to Boutcha.
· What does the fact that leaders use the word genocide change?
Genocide is the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, religious, racial, or ethnic group. The victims of the genocide are therefore deliberately targeted “because of their actual or perceived” membership in the group – and not taken casually – says the UN.
The Genocide Convention contains an obligation for signatory states: if they recognize that genocide is taking place, they undertake to ensure at least an investigation and prosecution. Therefore, leaders might try to avoid the term genocide to protect themselves from pressure to act.
If there is genocide, there is a duty of assistance. Do we want co-warfare? Do we want to intervene tomorrow if there is genocide in Ukraine? I have always said very clearly that for my part I am connected “to the fact that there is no escalation”, explains Emmanuel Macron this Thursday in this sense.
In this case, acknowledging that genocide is taking place in Ukraine could increase pressure to actually send troops there and engage directly in the conflict. A possibility currently denied by all world leaders.