..recent comments about Vladimir Putin and (Syrian leader) Bashar al-Assad."The Sept. 19 statement unequivocally called Putin a war criminal but cited Russia's "military intervention in Syria," not the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as an "example of his disregard for human rights."Stein reiterated previous calls for the need for "diplomacy" and said that "the situation in Ukraine" and other international crises "have created a global environment reminiscent of the prelude to World War I." She did not call for Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine but instead emphasized the "necessity of engaging with adversaries like Putin to de-escalate tensions and work toward peaceful resolutions."Ajamu Baraka, Stein's running mate for the Green Party in 2016, hit back against the statement, saying that "playing to the rightest forces among the left and (Democratic) Party was not necessary.