Joe Biden: Vladimir Putin Guilty of ‘Genocide’ and ‘Trying to Wipe Out Even The Idea of Being Ukrainian’

President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin was a “dictator” guilty of “genocide” in a speech on Tuesday.

The president clarified a remark he made during a speech at an ethanol plant in Iowa on Tuesday afternoon where he suggested Putin was guilty of genocide.

“Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide a half a world away,” Biden said.

Afterward, the president clarified to reporters that he was indeed talking about Putin.

“Yes, I called it genocide, because it’s become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out even the idea of being Ukrainian, and the evidence is mounting,” he said.

This is the first time that Biden has suggested that Putin is committing “genocide,” a term the administration has steered clear from as they continue to condemn Russia’s escalation of the war in Ukraine.

“In my opinion, the label is less important than the fact that these acts are cruel and criminal and wrong and evil and need to be responded to decisively. And that’s what we’re doing,” Biden’s national security advisor Jake Sullivan responded when asked Sunday by CNN’s Jake Tapper whether Putin’s actions in Ukraine were genocide.

Biden’s remarks are the latest in a series of escalatory comments about Putin as he continues condemning Russia’s escalation of their war in Ukraine.

The president also pointed out natural disasters in Russia.

“He has a burning tundra, literally, it’s burning,” Biden said. “The permafrost is burning. He’s got a problem and we’re not going to let him cause that problem and spread that to the rest of the world.”

The president also continued to blame Putin for the price hikes in food and gasoline, contributing to higher inflation, which the White House has called “Putin’s Price Hike.”

But inflation has grown precipitously since Biden took office before Putin escalated his invasion of Ukraine.

The president urged Congress to pass more legislation to give families government subsidies for home utility bills and prescription drugs as the “most impactful” solution to the cost of inflation.