Outrage over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine intensified this weekend as horrific reports of Russian war crimes emerged and shocked the world. In what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described as “genocide,” more than 400 civilians were found dead in the northern Ukrainian town of Bucha after it was seized back from Russian forces—with many of those killed shot at close range with their hands tied behind their backs. Despite the Kremlin’s denial that Russian forces were responsible for the killings, Western leaders have called for additional sanctions on Moscow as evidence of similar Russian atrocities throughout Ukraine increases. How should the US and NATO hold Putin accountable? Will Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine mark a tipping point in the conflict?
David Kramer joined Marc and Dany to discuss Russian war crimes in Ukraine, the US response following the atrocities in Bucha, Putin’s domestic crackdown, and how the US can take a tougher stance against the Kremlin.
David Kramer is the Managing Director for Global Policy at the George W. Bush Institute and a Senior Fellow at Florida International University’s Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center. Previously, Kramer served eight years in the US Department of State during the George W. Bush administration, including as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs; Professional Staff Member in the Secretary’s Office of Policy Planning; and Senior Advisor to the Undersecretary for Global Affairs. Kramer also was the Executive Director of the US Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, and from 2010 to 2014, he served as the President of Freedom House. He also chairs the board of the Free Russia Foundation and is the author of the book “Back to Containment: Dealing with Putin’s Regime.”