No leaders, apart from Zelenskyy, have called it a Genocide yet, I assume there must be reasons for that.
If Boris Johnson says "War Crimes" then he can take the moral high ground and denounce Putin and Russia and everyone sends thoughts and prayers and otherwise doesn't do a lot in reality. For weapons, bit of aid, visas for refugees? Right cracking, job done.
If Boris Johnson says "Genocide" then it ups the stakes and the moral high ground disappears precisely because he's not doing much than sending those thoughts and prayers and a few poxy weapons which simply aren't enough.
The political difference between war crimes and genocide is that one means you should be compelled to do as much as humanly possible and thoughts and prayers platitudes simply aren't good enough as the moral high ground compels intervention to stop an ongoing genocide.
The west knows its a genocide. They can not admit it for their own political agendas...
It will be interesting to see where the use of the word goes and who uses it.
In the last two days its been noted that retreating Russian soliders have destroyed bags of wheat, they have destroyed farm equipment and mined farmland near Melitopol and they have targeted food warehouses. There is other evidence of various ways in which Russia has prevented citizens from getting food too.
In this context note the following:
Lesia Vasylenko @lesiavasylenko
Czechia 🇨🇿 approves resolution recognizing Ukraine Holodomor as genocide of Ukrainian people. Yesterday parliament voted to condemn Kyiv region massacres.
Eastern European countries will move towards the word first and fastest. In part to shame Western ones.
Pressure mounts to do more if you use the word genocide. Its use is political.
Also watch the Israeli position. Ironically it looks like Bennett has just lost his parliamentary majority due to an MP quitting over leven bread in hospitals over passover. It raises the prospect of Netanyahu regaining power....