Russian atrocities 'not far short of genocide,' says UK premier

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON (AA) – The British prime minister on Wednesday condemned alleged Russian atrocities in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, but stopped short of labeling the civilian killings outright genocide as described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow have been facing vehement criticism from the international community after Ukraine accused Russian forces of committing “genocide” and “war crimes” in Bucha, a town near the capital Kyiv.

Russia has rejected the allegations as a “fake news attack,” arguing that images of bodies and footage of slain civilians that have drawn global outrage were staged after Russian forces withdrew from the city.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to a hospital north of the capital London, Boris Johnson said the international community, led by the UK, will respond harshly to Moscow and implement further sanctions on the Kremlin in response to the killings.

“I'm afraid when you look at what's happening in Bucha, the revelations that we are seeing from what Putin has done in Ukraine, doesn't look far short of genocide to me,” Johnson said in a statement quoted by Sky News.

"It is no wonder people are responding in the way that they are. I have no doubt that the international community, Britain very much in the front rank, will be moving again in lockstep to impose more sanctions and more penalties on Vladimir Putin's regime,” he added.

Speaking in Warsaw, Poland on Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said "we have all been shocked by the scenes from Bucha," and that "we will hold those responsible to account."

The West has imposed an array of sanctions on Russia following its war on Ukraine, which has led to an exodus of millions of people seeking safety in other European countries.