LONDON

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine.

Bombing innocent civilians “already fully qualifies as a war crime,” Johnson said during Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament.

“What we have seen already from Vladimir Putin’s regime in the use of the munitions that they have already been dropping on innocent civilians, in my view, already fully qualifies as a war crime,” he said.

“I know that the ICC (International Criminal Court) prosecutor is already investigating, and I am sure the whole House will support that.”

Johnson lauded the “extraordinary fortitude” shown by Ukrainians in defending their country.

“Putin has gravely miscalculated, in his abhorrent assault on a sovereign nation he has underestimated the extraordinary fortitude of the Ukrainian people and the unity and resolve of the free world in standing up to his barbarism,” he said.

If Putin escalates his war, the UK will ramp up humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine, he added.

Johnson defended the UK’s response since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war on Feb. 24, saying the country “led the way” in sanctions and cutting off Moscow from the international payment system SWIFT.

“What we are bringing forward now is the exposure of the ownership of properties in London and across the whole of the UK in a way that has not been possible before, and that I believe will continue to tighten the noose upon Putin’s regime,” the premier said.

Main opposition leader Keir Starmer said Britain stood “united in our support for the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression,” but urged the government to move further and faster.

To Starmer’s call for sanctions on Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, Johnson said he could not discuss individual cases.

Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party called for the government to waive all visa requirements for Ukrainians, but Johnson said the UK would not abandon all checks due to security concerns.

Earlier in the day, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace ruled out a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying it would “lead to a war against Russia across the whole of Europe.”

He also told the BBC that the Russians “are considerably behind their schedule, by days not hours.”

“That leads to stresses on their logistical supply chains. That’s why you have seen some of these columns fairly grind to a halt. They have also been surprised by the strength of the Ukrainian resistance,” Wallace said.

Standing ovation for Ukrainian envoy

Vadym Prystaiko, Kyiv’s ambassador to the UK, was given a standing ovation in Parliament as lawmakers expressed solidarity with Ukraine.

“We usually do not allow applause in this chamber, but one this occasion, the House quite rightly wants to demonstrate our respect and support for your country and its people in the most difficult of times,” Speaker Lindsay Hoyle told the ambassador.

More than 2,000 civilians have been killed since the start of the war, according to Ukrainian authorities, while the UN Refugee Agency estimates over 874,000 people have fled to neighboring countries since Russia launched attacks on Feb. 24.