State Department urges U.S. embassies to avoid referring to Russian actions as "war crimes"

The U.S. Department of State is urging American embassies across Europe to refrain from reposting a tweet from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv that called the Russian military’s attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant “a war crime.”

According to an internal message obtained by CNN, State has also asked officials who have already shared the post to delete it.

It is a war crime to attack a nuclear power plant. Putin's shelling of Europe's largest nuclear plant takes his reign of terror one step further. #TheHague #Zaporizhzhia #StandwithUkraine

— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) March 4, 2022

“All – do not/not retweet Embassy Kyiv’s tweet on shelling of the facility being a possible war crime,” the message reportedly reads. “If you have retweeted it – un-retweet it ASAP.” 

The State Department’s admonition comes just hours after the embassy in Kyiv responded to the Russian assault on Europe’s largest nuclear plant.

It is a war crime to attack a nuclear power plant. Putin's shelling of Europe's largest nuclear plant takes his reign of terror one step further. #TheHague #Zaporizhzhia #StandwithUkraine

— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) March 4, 2022

“It is a war crime to attack a nuclear power plant. Putin’s shelling of Europe’s largest nuclear plant takes his reign of terror one step further. #TheHague #Zaporizhzhia #StandwithUkraine,” the embassy’s official Twitter account posted.

Presently, it remains unclear why the Biden administration is attempting to silence criticism of Putin and his invading army – but some analysts have suggested that the president is trying to avoid antagonizing him further. He did, after all, refuse to qualify the invasion of the nuclear plant as a “war crime” when asked by reporters on Wednesday.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended Biden’s caution when pressed by reporters, the New York Post reported.

“President [Volodymyr] Zelensky has said Russia’s actions clearly constitute a war crime. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said that Russia’s targeting of civilians fully qualifies as a war crime. The president wouldn’t go that far when he was asked yesterday. Why has he been reluctant to label Russia’s actions a war crime?” a reporter asked during a press briefing. 

“Well, there is a process and we have stood up a process internally — an internal team — to assess and look at and evaluate evidence of what we’re seeing happen on the ground,” Psaki answered.

“That is a standard part of our process in the US government. I would note that we work very closely with our international partners, and we will provide any information that we surface through that process.”

The press secretary acknowledged that the administration has received reports detailing “a range of barbaric tactics” by Russia, including targeting civilians. 

“That’s all factors that we look at,” she said. “And again, that interag— that process that has been stood up would provide any information to the ICC [International Criminal Court] or any other international body taking a look at this.”