MENLO, Iowa (Reuters) - U.S. President Biden said on Tuesday that Americans' ability to pay for gasoline should not hinge on whether a dictator declares war and "commits genocide" half a world away.

       The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the remark. Biden has repeatedly called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal but he has not declared that Russia has committed genocide in Ukraine.

       (Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Tim Ahmann)