The U.S. says it has "credible information" indicating "Russian forces are creating lists" of Ukrainians "to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation," the Washington Post first reported Sunday.
Driving the news: Bathsheba Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, warns in a letter to the UN, confirmed by a State Department official, that the information "indicates that human rights violations and abuses in the aftermath of a further invasion are being planned."
- "We also have credible information that Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations," Crocker wrote, per the letter.
- She said "past Russian operations have included targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, unjust detentions, and the use of torture."
- Likely targets would be "those who oppose Russian actions, including Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons," according to the letter.
The big picture: The warning comes as the White House announced that President Biden has agreed "in principle" to hold a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, providing Russia does not invade Ukraine.
- Putin has also "accepted the principle of such a summit," according to French President Emmanuel Macron's office.
- President Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council on Sunday, following a tense weekend of conflicting-claims about whether Putin has decided to invade Ukraine.
Read Crocker's letter, first obtained by WashPost, via DocumentCloud:
Go deeper: Biden and Putin agree "in principle" to hold summit
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
