Dear Mr. President.
It has become clear that, in the conduct of their unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and their abhorrent targeting of civilian noncombatants, Vladimir Putin and the armed forces of the Russian Federation are committing war crimes in violation of United States and/or international law.1 Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky clearly stated that the Russian bombardment of civilian areas in Kharkiv was a war crime. The world needs to put Russian commanders and troops on notice that they will not enjoy impunity for these atrocities. We owe that accountability to the valiant people of Ukraine.
For this reason, we respectfully urge you to direct the Director of National Intelligence, in coordination with the U.S. Intelligence Community, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and other relevant federal agencies and departments to collect, compile, and retain evidence and information related to Russian war crimes in Ukraine, in order to make it available to support the effective prosecution of Russian war criminals in appropriate courts and tribunals, and the targeting of additional sanctions against them. We expect that you will keep Congress apprised of such activities through regular reports and briefings.
To maximize the deterrent effect, we respectfully request that you publicly announce today that these efforts are underway. As their Ukraine invasion becomes a protracted conflict, Russian troops need to know that the world is watching, and they will be held accountable.
