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President Joe Biden on Monday called for evidence to be gathered that will place Russian leader Vladimir Putin on charges of war crimes related to his country's invasion of Ukraine.
"He is a war criminal," Biden said of Putin, after reports of massacres by Russian-led troops in the city of Bucha, northwest of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.
"The boy is cruel, and what happened in Bucha is annoying and everyone has seen it," Biden told reporters, a day after the video and photos showed that the city streets were littered with corpses.
"I think it's a war crime ... He should answer."
Biden also said he planned to impose additional sanctions on Russia for its conduct during the war, which began on February 24.
"I will let you know," the president replied when a reporter asked him what the expected sanctions were.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier accused Russian troops of killing people, saying Ukrainian people were "being destroyed and exterminated."
The mayor of Bucha said about 300 residents of the city had been killed during the Chechen war in the area.
Russia has denied allegations that its troops killed civilians in Bucha, and the Ministry of Defense calls the allegations "extremist".
Biden said on Monday, "Remember, I was criticized for calling Putin a war criminal" last month.
"Well, the truth of the matter, you have seen what happened in Bucha. This is authoritative - he is a war criminal," Biden said.
"But we have to gather information. We must continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs to continue the war," the president said.