US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that he personally believes war crimes have been committed in Ukraine.
"Yesterday, President Biden said that in his opinion, war crimes have been committed in Ukraine. Personally, I agree," Blinken said, according to ABC News.
"Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime. After all the destruction of the past few weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise," he added.
Before the US officially labels Putin's actions as war crimes, Blinken said State Department experts from the Office of Global Criminal Justice are documenting and evaluating evidence for a formal determination and will share the findings with those responsible for accountability. He also acknowledged reports on intentional attacks from the bombing of a Drama Theater housing children to opening fire at people waiting in line for bread.
"These incidents join a long list of attacks on civilian non-military locations across Ukraine, including apartment buildings, public squares, and last week, a maternity hospital in Mariupol," he said. "I doubt that any of us who saw those images will ever forget."
Blinken’s comments come a day after President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal", the harshest condemnation of Putin's actions from any US official since the war in Ukraine began three weeks ago.
"I think he is a war criminal," Biden told reporters.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the comment was "unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric," reported the Tass news agency.
The shift from the administration's previous stance came after an emotional address to Congress from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who aired a video showing Ukrainians suffering amid Russia's onslaught. Zelenskyy asked American lawmakers and Biden for more help defending itself, including a no-fly zone and fighter jets.
Biden later announced out new American military assistance to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft and anti-armor systems, weapons and drones, though he stopped short of acceding to Zelensky's requests.
On Thursday, Biden doubled down on his criticism of Putin, calling the Russian leader a "murderous dictator" and a "pure thug".
Meanwhile, Blinken also confirmed on Thursday the death of an American citizen in Ukraine. The family of the American, identified by his sisters as Jimmy Hill, said he was killed by Russian fire as he waited in a bread line.
One of his sisters, Katya Hill, told CNN he had stayed in the hospital in Chernihiv, the site of heavy Russian bombardment during its invasion, to be alongside his Ukrainian partner as she battled multiple sclerosis.