Volodymyr Zelensky made the announcement in a video address to the Ukrainian people on Thursday night, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
Zelensky said: “A few months ago, our expert group chaired by Yermak and McFaul suggested recognizing Russia's actions against Ukraine as genocide."
He added: "And here is the first real result of the visit of the First Lady of Ukraine [Olena Zelenska] to the United States - Senators Risch, Cardin, Wicker, Blumenthal, Portman, Shaheen and Graham presented a draft resolution recognizing Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide.”
According to the Ukrainian president, the resolution states that Russia's actions in Ukraine, which include forced deportations to Russia and the targeted killing of civilians during mass atrocities, are genocide against the people of Ukraine, the Ukrinform news agency reported.
“The draft resolution condemns Russia for committing acts of genocide against the people of Ukraine; calls on the United States, along with NATO and EU allies, to support the government of Ukraine to prevent further acts of Russian genocide against the Ukrainian people; and supports tribunals and international criminal investigations to hold Russian political leaders and military personnel accountable for a war of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide,” Zelensky said.
He added that “each Russian attack makes further case for Ukraine to receive more HIMARS advanced rocket systems and other modern, effective weaponry.”
“Every strike only toughens our resolve to defeat the occupiers,” he vowed.
Friday is day 149 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, ukrinform.net, foreign.senate.gov