Prosecute Putin for War Crimes. But Prosecute the U.S., Too

President Joe Biden has become the latest leader to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal when asked by reporters on Wednesday to weigh in on the subject. In so doing, he joins a growing list of international leaders to condemn Putin's invasion of Ukraine in the harshest terms—but also reveals one of the hazards of doing so, particularly as the leader of the United States. After all, our own record on war crimes is nowhere near crystal clear, and any ICC prosecution will only have limited significance as long as it continues ignoring other war crimes.

There is no question that Putin should be held accountable for war crimes and, rightfully, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is now investigating that possibility.