President Joe Biden believes that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a war criminal.
It was Biden's first time branding Putin with that phrase.
The International Criminal Court's top prosecutor opened an investigation into possible war crimes by Russia two weeks ago.
It came after Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said Biden should call Putin a war criminal.
Russia has attacks on hospitals, maternity wards, apartment buildings, and direct fire on civilians.
After an event in the White House, a reporter asked Biden if he was ready to call Putin a war criminal.
As he walked by the journalist, Biden initially replied, "No."
The reporter asked if Biden would go to Poland, where many refugees from the Russian invasion have fled.
Biden asked the journalist if he should call.
Biden thinks he is a war criminal.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki later said that Biden was speaking from his heart about what he had seen on the news.
There is a legal process to determine if Putin has committed war crimes. She said that the process is underway at the State Department.
The spokesman for the Kremlin said that Biden's comments were unacceptable and unforgivable.
More than 1,100 civilians have been injured and 700 have been killed since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February, according to the United Nations.
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