U.S. supports Zelensky’s efforts to negotiate with Putin
LA TimesTop U.S. officials are backing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s efforts to negotiate a peaceful end to Russia’s invasion of his country as they continued to accuse Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians in ways that would amount to war crimes. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on Sunday accused Putin of targeting “cities, towns and civilians” because “he’s not been able to achieve the goals as rapidly as he wants to achieve.” Austin said that Putin’s tactics were “disgusting” and that intentionally targeting civilians would constitute war crimes. His comments echoed those by President Biden who last week called Putin a “war criminal.” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Thursday that “intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime. To lay the groundwork for such an attack, the Kremlin has been leveling “spurious accusations that the U.S. was supporting Ukraine’s chemical weapons program,” Thomas-Greenfield said.