WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden on Monday called for a war crimes trial over the alleged atrocities against civilians in Bucha, Ukraine, and said he wants more sanctions imposed on Russia.

Calling President Vladimir Putin “a war criminal” and the killings “a war crime,” Biden told reporters there should be “a war crimes trial.”

Biden has called Putin a war criminal in the past, provoking an angry response from the Kremlin.

“You may remember I got criticized,” he said. “Well the truth of the matter is, you saw what happened in Bucha… This guy is brutal and what’s happening to Bucha is outrageous and everyone’s seen it.”

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Putin “is a war criminal,” he said – but he added that “we have to gather all the details” to be able to have a trial.

The US and NATO, wary of direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia, have instead poured money and arms into Ukraine while leveling unprecedented sanctions against Moscow and Putin’s cronies in a bid to cripple the economy.

On Monday Biden said he was seeking yet more sanctions. “He should be held accountable,” he said of his Russian counterpart.