A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal.

Bill: 117-sres-536
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2022-03-07
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Conflicts and wars

Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad

Europe

Military operations and strategy

Russia

Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status

Ukraine

War crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity
Latest action: action_date: 2022-03-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text: CR S1019)

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-03-07
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This resolution states that President Vladimir Putin of Russia has committed war crimes, as defined by the United Nations and other international bodies, by initiating an unprovoked war, repeatedly violating the sovereignty of Ukraine, and targeting civilian infrastructure and government facilities unrelated to legitimate military objectives.</p>

tv_txt: III 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 536 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 7, 2022 Mr. Cassidy (for himself and Ms. Hassan ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Senate that President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal.

Whereas, under international law, a war crime is a serious violation of the laws or customs of war as defined by international customary law and international treaties; Whereas war crimes also include initiating a war of aggression as prosecuted at the Nuremberg trials following World War II and more recently defined in the 2010 amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; Whereas a war criminal is a person who has planned, ordered, or carried out an act during the conduct of a war that violates accepted international rules of war; and Whereas Articles 26 and 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, done at Vienna May 23, 1969, state, Every treaty in force is binding upon the parties to it and must be performed by them in good faith. … A party may not invoke the provisions of its internal law as justification for its failure to perform a treaty. : Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of the Senate that— (1) President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation has committed war crimes as defined by the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and other international bodies by— (A) initiating an unprovoked war; (B) violating the sovereignty of Ukraine repeatedly; (C) targeting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and apartment buildings, militarily; (D) targeting government facilities unrelated to legitimate military objectives; and (E) attempting to overthrow the democratically elected government led by President Volodymyr Zelensky; and (2) since President Vladimir Putin is the Commander in Chief (equivalent) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and as such was involved in the planning of the invasion of Ukraine, he is culpable of launching a war of aggression and the systematic commission of war crimes during that war by Russian troops.