HERE, AND I IMAGINE THOSE
PROPOSALS WOULD BE LOOKED AT TO
SEE IF THERE IS DISCREET
FIXES --
>> YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO
THE BRIEFING RIGHT NOW, AND THEY
HAVE OFFICIALS SAID THE U.S.
ASSESSES RUSSIA HAS COMMITTED
WAR CRIMES IN UKRAINE.
THIS IS AN OFFICIAL ASSESSMENT
BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, SO THIS
IS A MAJOR SHIFT.
SHE WAS PRESSED ON WHAT
ACCOUNTABILITY MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
SHE SAID THERE ARE OPTIONS FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY.
SHE SAID EVIDENCE IS STILL BEING
COLLECTED AND PRESERVED.
SHE CALLED IT AN ONGOING
PROCESS.
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT
DEVELOPMENT, AND I WANT TO BRING
BACK KELLY O'DONNELL AND JOSH
LETTERMAN.
PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS ASKED ABOUT
THIS SEVERAL DAYS AGO, IS
VLADIMIR PUTIN A WAR CRIMINAL
AND HE SAID, YES, I BELIEVE HES
AND THIS MAKES IT OFFICIAL.
>> AT THAT TIME THE WHITE HOUSE
WAS CLEAR TO POINT OUT THE
PRESIDENT WAS SPEAKING
PERSONALLY AND ECHOING WHAT MANY
OF US AROUND THE WORLD HAVE BEEN
WATCHING AND THAT FEELING WE
HAVE IN SEEING THE LIVES LOST,
THE TRAGEDY AND OUR PERSONAL
ASSESSMENT THAT THIS HAS GONE
BEYOND THE RULES OF WAR, AND NOW
THEY ARE SAYING AN OFFICIAL
ASSESSMENT BASED ON INTELLIGENCE
AND ANALYSIS OF THINGS LIKE THE
DEMARCATION OF CHILDREN AS A
NONMILITARY ASSET, THAT THAT WAS
A CLEAR VIOLATION OF WAR AS ONE
OF THE ELEMENTS THEY ARE LOOKING
AT, AND MUCH LIKE THEY WOULD SEE
LIKE AN EVERY DAY CRIMINAL COURT
IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE
RULES THAT APPLY AND EVIDENCE
GATHERED AND THEN AN ASSESSMENT
IS MADE, AND IT'S NOT JUST AN
OPINION, IT FOLLOWS THAT AND
SIMILARLY EVEN ON THIS GRAND
STAGE HERE, THAT'S WHAT AT PLAY
HERE.
AND IT'S SENDING A MESSAGE, A
MESSAGE THAT MAY GET THROUGH IN
RUSSIA AND MAY HAVE SOME IMPACT
ON THE PEOPLE OF RUSSIA WHO MAY
BE ABLE TO USE THAT INFORMATION
AND HOW THEY RESPOND TO THEIR
OWN GOVERNMENT.
IT MAY AFFECT THE PEOPLE OF
UKRAINE AND THEIR WILL TO KEEP
FIGHTING.
IT MAY AFFECT WORLD LEADERS IN
HOW THEY ASSESS THINGS AND IT
MAY BE ANOTHER ONE OF THE MANY
PLANKS WE HAVE SEEN IN ALL
DIFFERENT KINDS OF RESPONSES,
FROM AID TO SANCTIONS AND NOW THIS PIECE THAT COULD HAVE
THIS PIECE THAT COULD HAVE
CRIMINAL OR COURT-LIKE PREPRAU
REPERCUSSIONS TO SAY THIS IS NOT
JUST A MILITARY ACTION.
>> TO FOLLOW-UP ON KELLY'S POINT
THERE, JOSH, THE QUESTION OF
ACCOUNTABILITY, IT WAS ONE OF
THE FIRST QUESTIONS THAT GOT
ASKED TO THE AMBASSADOR AT LARGE
THERE, AND SHE SAID THERE ARE
ACTIONS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT
GIVE US A FACT CHECK HERE, WHEN
YOU ARE PUNISHING SOMEBODY LIKE
VLADIMIR PUTIN, HOW TOUGH WOULD
IT BE FOR THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY
TO PROSECUTE HIM?
>> SYMBOLICALLY, THIS IS VERY
IMPORTANT, AND THERE'S NOT THAT
MANY PEOPLE THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
HAS ACCUSED OF BEING A CRIMINAL.
RUSSIA IS NOT A MEMBER BY THE
INTERNATIONAL COURT, AND NEITHER
IS UKRAINE OR THE U.S.
THERE'S AN EXCEPTION, WHICH IS
THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL CAN
REFER A COUNTRY TO THE ICC FOR
THE CRIME OF AGGRESSION.
REMEMBER, RUSSIA HAS A VETO AT
THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL SO
THAT SEEMS UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN AS
WELL.
AND THEN THERE'S THE QUESTION OF
WHO WOULD HAPPENED OVER VLADIMIR
PUTIN TO SIT FOR A TRIAL, AND
THAT SEEMS ENTIRELY UNLIKELY,
AND THESE ARE THE CHALLENGES THE