Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Newsmax that Russian war crimes against Ukraine "squarely fit within the definition of genocide."
Joining "The Record with Greta Van Susteren" on Wednesday, the Texas Republican stressed the severity of a recent report from Ukrainian officials alleging 80,000 cases of war crimes by Russian forces.
"Over 20,000 children, Greta, in the occupied territories, have been deported out of Ukraine into Russia into indoctrination camps," McCaul stated. "It's really kind of horrific when you hear stories like this that, actually, squarely fit in the definition of genocide."
"I think it's important that this all be documented with an eye – we don't know how this is going to end – but with an eye towards possible prosecution of those involved," he added.
McCaul further stated that the report reveals "this is coming from a very high level" within the Kremlin, potentially all the way up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
His comments arrive as Senate Republicans complained Wednesday at the lack of cooperation between the Pentagon and the International Criminal Court on sharing intelligence surrounding Russian atrocities.
"The reservations of the Department of Defense are holding back the transfer of information that would be vital to allowing the ICC to be more aggressive in prosecutions," stated South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Last month, ICC judges issued arrest warrants on Putin and his children's rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova.
"Pre-Trial Chamber II considered ... that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children," the court stated.
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