Reality check: war crimes happen in all wars. And are committed by both sides.
But we also need to remember that war crimes are a western social construct. They are a series of social values we (try) and impose (on ourselves and others).
Many countries have signed up to the concept. But actually are untested in practice.
America has both passed and failed on its own tests on this, but has never been really held accountable for those failings. I actually think theres a problem with this. (Which has ramifications in terms of this conflict).
There was some talk a while back about how the USSR was never held accountable for its war crime post WWII like Germany was, and how this almost allowed an arrogance to develop over time. And now thats a festering problem.
By the same token, the sometimes dubious actions of Americans is now a wedge that Russia can push back on, in other to stop sanctions and to weaken US soft power around the globe.
Argument about fighting for democracy and freedom have rather bitten us on the ass. This has long term geopolitical fall out. So we can't ignore the subject.
America is also a nonsignatory to a number of weapons treaties banning certain practices. Cluster bombs is one of the big ones. America has never agreed to stop using or supplying them. So it frustrates me when there's been so many conversations about Russia’s 'illegal' use of them. Neither Russia nor Ukraine are signatories either. However it makes little sense to cluster bomb your own country because you automatically endanger your own civilians. Landmines is the other big one. The US and Russia have not agreed to ban them. Ukraine actually has. (The UK has banned both)
Having said all this, there is more effort given to preventing civilian deaths by the US than by Russia who have a policy of seeing them as an inconvenience that gets in the way or worse - a legitimate target to demoralise the enemy. Where the US failed it has had fall out. But perhaps not enough.
All this DOES matter to this war, because it has an effect on how the US and Russia have won support / demanded a response.
The failure of the west to see this as a problem is a massive blunder. Its grossly misunderstood how important this is. Its right up there with 'putin didn't know how the levels of support he had in Ukraine' stupid.
Chain reactions and ripples.
Human Rights therefore is this fuzzy concept imposed by the west who haven't always kept their own houses in order.
Putin will drive this point over and over again...