Top Russian officials not answering US calls, Pentagon says

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John Kirby on 'plain to see' Russian war crimes: 'There will be consequences'

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss the U.S. accusing Russia of war crimes in Ukraine amid President Biden's visit to Eastern Europe.

Russian leadership is giving the U.S. the cold shoulder, rejecting the Biden administration’s attempts to talk.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told Fox News that the Biden administration has been trying different avenues to reach the Kremlin, but to no avail.

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"We have tried on numerous occasions to connect Secretary Austin with his counterpart; Chairman Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, has also tried to connect with his counterpart," Kirby said. "We have made multiple attempts here but they have not answered up. They’ve declined to take these calls."

Kirby made clear that there is some communication with Russia through the U.S. embassy and a defense attache in Moscow, as well as a deconfliction line.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a cabinet meeting via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 23, 2022.  (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

"So there are vehicles, we still have military to military communications with the Russians," Kirby said, "but at the senior levels where we think it’s really important, particularly right now, that’s not happening and it’s not happening because the Russians don’t seem to be interested."

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Regarding the fighting on the ground, Kirby said it appears that "the Ukrainians are definitely becoming more effective on the battlefield." He said that in some areas, Ukrainians have moved from a defensive posture to an offensive one, and that outside Kyiv they have managed to push Russian forces back in some areas. 

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Kirby also addressed how the Biden administration has finally formally accused Russia of committing war crimes. 

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"What we’ve said is we have clear evidence that the Russian forces are committing war crimes," Kirby said, adding that the U.S. and the international community are continuing to gather evidence and investigate the matter.

"It’s plain for the world to see that the Russian forces are committing war crimes, but it’s important that the evidence be documented, that information by collected and provided to investigators, and then we let that process play out," Kirby said, "But clearly, there will be consequences."