Vice President Kamala Harris accused the Russian government on Saturday of committing crimes against humanity in its war in Ukraine, delivering a stern rebuke at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

"From the starting days of this unprovoked war, we have witnessed Russian forces engage in horrendous atrocities and war crimes," Harris said. "We have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards, and there is no doubt—these are crimes against humanity."

The determination is the strongest accusation yet from the US government and comes days prior to the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken backed Harris' case in a statement, calling the acts a “wide-ranging and systematic attack against Ukraine's civilian population” and insisting that "crimes against humanity determinations" should only be made for the most extreme atrocities.

The declaration does not offer immediate consequences to Russia, nor does