Russia war a 'genocide,' trying to 'wipe out' Ukraine, says US President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden has now said Russia's war in Ukraine amounts to "genocide," accusing President Vladimir Putin of trying to "wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian."

"Yes, I called it genocide," he told reporters in Iowa on Tuesday shortly before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington. "It's become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian."

Last week, Biden stopped short of saying Russia's actions amounted to genocide.

At an earlier event Tuesday in Menlo, Iowa, addressing spiking energy prices caused by the war, Biden had implied that he thought Putin was carrying out genocide against Ukraine, but offered no details. Neither he nor his administration announced new consequences for Russia or assistance to Ukraine following Biden's public assessment.

Biden's comments drew praise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had encouraged Western leaders to use the term to describe Russia's invasion of his country. French President Emmanuel Macron declined to take his rhetoric that far in comments Wednesday.

"I am prudent with terms today," Macron said. "Genocide has a meaning. The Ukrainian people and Russian people are brotherly people. It's madness what's happening today. It's unbelievable brutality and a return to war in Eu ..