The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden said on the 6th that designating Russia as a “state sponsor of terrorism” would be counterproductive. Biden rejected calls from Ukrainian and U.S. congressmen to take the far-reaching action.
Senior U.S. officials have not responded positively to the question over the past few months. On the 5th, when Biden was asked by reporters whether he would list Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, he simply replied, “No.”
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre was asked again on the 6th whether the Biden administration had made a decision, and she said that terrorism identification “is not the most efficient or powerful way to hold Russia accountable.”
Designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism would hinder aid to parts of war-torn Ukraine, as well as aid groups and businesses from participating in a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, Champier said. The agreement ensures that much-needed Ukrainian food can be shipped from blocked ports.
Champier said such an approach “would also weaken our unprecedented multilateral coalition that has been very effective in holding Putin accountable, and could also undermine our ability to support Ukraine in negotiations.”
If the United States, the world’s largest economy, is labelled a “state sponsor of terrorism”, it would have widespread repercussions. Many businesses and banks have stopped doing business with these countries because they are unwilling to risk legal action from prosecutors.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been calling for the West to formally designate Russia after a series of attacks that killed civilians, notably the Kremenchuk shopping mall in June that killed 18 people Terrorist state.
Regarding Biden’s decision, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that if it is not included now, it does not mean that it will never be.
“We appreciate what the United States continues to do for Ukraine, but on this particular issue, we will not back down and will continue to stand our ground, because it is indeed the right decision,” Kuleba noted.
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