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Joe Biden said for the first time on Tuesday that there is growing evidence that Russia's invasion of Ukraine amounts to genocide, but said it will be up to lawyers to make the final determination.

The US president stood by his genocide description offered earlier in a speech at an ethanol plant in Iowa, claiming that Vladimir Putin is trying to "wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian".

“Yes, I called it genocide because it has become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian and the evidence is mounting," Mr Biden told reporters.

He added: "We'll let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies, but it sure seems that way to me."

Mr Biden has repeatedly called Putin a war criminal, but he has not declared that Russia has committed genocide in Ukraine.

Read the full article here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/04/13/ukraine-war-russia-latest-news-mariupol-zelensky-kyiv-putin/

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