U.S. Senate Calls On State Department To Designate Russia As State Sponsor Of Terrorism

The Senate of the United States has passed a resolution calling on the State Department to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

This was reported by the head of the Office of the President Andrii Yermak and the American edition of The New York Times, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"The Senate of the United States passed a resolution calling on the State Department to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism due to its actions in Ukraine, Georgia, Syria and Chechnya. Thanks to the Senate for supporting the call of Ukraine," the head of the President's Office wrote in the Telegram channel.

The New York Times notes that on Wednesday, July 27, the Senate unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution calling on Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism for actions in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Ukraine that led to "the deaths of countless innocent men, women and children."

The power to designate a state sponsor of terrorism resides with the State Department.

The publication emphasizes that the Senate’s passage of the resolution puts yet more congressional pressure on the U.S. President Joe Biden administration to add Russia to a list of state sponsors of terrorism that includes Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria.

At that, Blinken, during a briefing on July 27, when asked about Russia's recognition as a state sponsor of terrorism, noted that the State Department is obliged to comply with the law.

“Criteria against which we make this determination are defined by Congress.  So that’s what we’re looking at.  And our task is to try to take these criteria that Congress has established and compare them against the facts to make sure that the facts in a particular situation actually meet the criteria that are established in law,” he said.

According to Blinken, the losses that the Russian Federation is now suffering are already in line with the consequences that will result from the recognition of it as a state sponsor of terrorism.

“We’re aligned with dozens of countries around the world across four continents on the most powerful sanctions, export controls, that I think have ever been levied.  We’ve also curtailed international assistance and foreign aid.  And the costs that have been imposed on Russia by us and by other countries are absolutely in line with the consequences that would follow from designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. So the practical effects of what we’re doing are the same,” the Secretary of State stressed.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said that the United States is seriously considering the possibility of declaring the Russian Federation a state sponsor of terrorism in connection with its actions in Ukraine.

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