Biden To Speak With Zelensky Today As U.S. Condemns Kremlin’s Sham 'Tribunals' in Mariupol

U.S. President Joe Biden will speak today with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky to update him on Washington's arms shipments and congratulate Ukraine on its Independence Day, TURAN's U.S. correspondent reports citing the White House.

The Biden Administration officials say they would continue to "rally the free world" and "galvanize allies and partners" to support Ukraine as the Russian invasion hits the 6-month mark, as they believe that it’s for Ukraine to define what it considers success.

"We’ve been clear that diplomacy is the only way to end this conflict, but Russia has consistently shown no signs that it’s willing to seriously engage in negotiations," Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, said in response to TURAN's questions during yesterday's daily press briefing.

"We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression, and we are focused on strengthening Ukraine’s hand as much as possible on the battlefield so when that time comes, Ukraine has as much leverage as possible at the negotiating table," Patel said.

Ukraine has continuously demonstrated its commitment to a peaceful negotiated end to the conflict, and "we believe that if and when Russia is prepared to act in good faith, Ukraine will be as well," he added.

Warning of a potential next step in the Russian invasion, John Kirby, the communications coordinator at the National Security Council said on Wednesday that the U.S. has information showing Russia is preparing to hold "sham referenda" in regions of Ukraine, potentially within days. The potential regions where a referenda could occur include Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, along with Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, according to Kirby.

Washington expects Russia to manipulate the results of the votes and falsely claim the Ukrainian people want to join Russia, Kirby said. "It will be critical to call out and counter this disinformation in real time," he said.

The Biden Administration on Wednesday also condemned Russia's plans to hold so-called “tribunals” in Mariupol against Ukraine’s soldiers, saying that the Kremlin is attempting to deflect responsibility for Putin’s war of aggression and distract from overwhelming evidence of the atrocities Russian forces have committed in Ukraine.

"The planned show trials are illegitimate and a mockery of justice, and we strongly condemn them," State Department's spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

"All members of Ukraine’s armed forces, including domestic and foreign volunteers incorporated into the armed forces, are entitled to prisoner of war status if they are captured and must be afforded the treatment and protections commensurate with that status, according to the Geneva Conventions," Price added.

"We call on Moscow to comply with its obligations under international law. The United States will continue to firmly stand with the Ukrainian people as they defend their freedom," reads the DoS' statement.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.