Jill Stein condemns Putin, Assad, Netanyahu as ‘war criminals’ in apparent U-turn

US Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has issued a statement clarifying her stance on key issues and reiterating that her campaign condemns a number of world leaders, including Vladimir Putin, Bashar Al-Assad and Benjamin Netanyahu, as war criminals.

"Putin’s military intervention in Syria, supporting Assad’s brutal suppression of the Syrian people’s uprising, is a stark example of his disregard for human rights," the statement reads.

Her statement also lists former US presidents and vice-presidents such as Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Barack Obama,  George W. Bush, and Dick Cheney as war criminals.

She also condemned Israel’s ongoing war on the besieged Gaza Strip in the strongest terms, adding that it amounts to "genocide and war crimes".

The statement comes a week after Stein appeared to refuse to call Assad and Putin war criminals in an interview with Zeteo journalist Mehdi Hassan.

During the interview, Stein was quizzed on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in which thousands of Ukrainians have died, claiming that she has not called out the Russian president for attacks on civilians.

Hasan confronted Stein on perceived double standards over her stance on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who the veteran Green politician has called a war criminal, while she has not made the same charge against Putin or Assad, despite vast war crimes committed by both in Syria and Ukraine.

"We looked at your social media and you haven’t done that many posts specifically calling out Russian attacks on civilian areas [in Ukraine]," Hasan said. "You haven't called Vladimir Putin a war criminal, but you have called Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal."

Hasan then asked Stein if she thought Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was a war criminal.

"Yes," Stein replied. "In so many words, yes, we have said as much," she added.

Hasan inquired as to why she called Netanyahu a war criminal publicly but not Putin.

"Well, as John F. Kennedy said, we must not negotiate out of fear and we must not fear to negotiate," she replied. "So, if you want to be an effective world leader, you don't start by name-calling and hurling epithets."

"So, how will President Stein negotiate with Israel then if you've called Netanyahu a war criminal?" Hasan asked in response.

"Well, because he very clearly is a war criminal," Stein said, prompting a perplexed Hasan to ask: "So Putin clearly isn't a war criminal?"

Condemnation of 'war criminals'

Stein’s statement on Friday appears to touch on an array of topics, clarifying her stance after backlash and questions raised in the interview.

"While we strongly condemn the actions of these world leaders, we also recognise the importance of diplomacy. The urgency of current global conflicts and the rising threat of nuclear war make dialogue essential, even with those who have committed grave crimes," the statement read.

It says however that Netanyahu stand out as a war criminal and that no negotiation is required with him, rather he needs to be "sent to the Hague to face justice".

"The aspirations of the people of the Middle East to self-determination have long been suppressed by imperialist powers. This is why we opposed Putin’s bombing of Syria that propped up Assad’s regime, just as we have opposed US wars and interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other countries" it continues.

Stein has previously come under fire after being photographed at Putin’s table at a dinner in 2015 in Moscow, and again when she urged the US to "work with" Assad and Putin in the Middle East, at a time when both were committing atrocities against Syrian civilians.

She was further lambasted for calling all Syrian rebels, many of whom fight the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, "jihadis".

Stein has previously run for the US presidency in 2012 and 2016,